‘We’ll dielike cattle’: Kashmiris fear coronavirus outbreak

SRINAGAR As the world scrambles to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, fear and anxiety prevail in Indian occupied Kashmir after six COVID-19 cases were detected. Hospitals in the occupied territory have an acute shortage of doctors and paramedics, while its healthcare facilities are insufficient to meet the crisis which has unsettled countries with world-class medical infrastructure. Given the situation, residents of the valley fear the potentially disastrous consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. Apprehensions abound that this may be just the “tip of the iceberg” as several hundred people, most of whom had travelled to other countries, were placed under quarantine. In Laddakh, which until August was part of Kashmir before it was separated and turned into a union territory by India, 13 cases tested positive, most of whom had travelled to Iran. The Muslim-majority region has been under a strict security and communication lockdown since August 5 when New Delhi stripped the region’s of its special status. The internet was restored earlier this month, but it remains slow as 4G services are still not allowed. Srinagar, occupied Kashmir ’s main city and home to a million people, turned into a ghost town this week as markets were shut, public transport banned and entry of travellers restricted. “We aren’t testing proactively and enough,” Junaid Mattu, mayor of Srinagar, said. “We aren’t preparing for the worst.” The valley’s administration, which now reports to New Delhi, has taken a series of measures aimed at containing the spread of the virus, including a lockdown that has grown in recent days.—KMS