By: Fida Firdous
The recent heart wrenching death of five family members in Pandrethan due to suffocation has sent shockwaves across the length and breadth of the Kashmir valley. Suffocation, a villain in the darkness has snatched the gift of life from the family of five. The nonchalant and careless approach of the family towards safety has resulted in the unfortunate devastation of a complete family unit. The carelessness exhibited by the family and the failure to ensure proper ventilation, ignorance of the safety guidelines or even overconfidence is what has contributed to this tragic and unfortunate outcome.
The display of carefulness and the art of remaining vigilant is indeed a social responsibility that drives us to being aware of one’s surroundings, identifying potential risks, and taking the necessary measures to prevent harm to oneself and fellow humans in the society.
Why carefulness matters?
Firstly, Reduction in the number of mishaps: By being careful and taking the preventive measures, vigilance helps reduce the chances of undue accidents and mishaps.
Secondly, Safeguarding lives and property: Being watchful always comes in handy as it helps in protecting not just a human life and property but also ensuring the same for others as well.
Thirdly, The Sustenance of Law and Order: Being careful and vigilant and imposing strict laws and measures helps curb the criminal behaviours, simultaneously upholding the social order within the society.
Fourthly, Promoting the safety of the Society: The act of remaining vigilant contributes positively to society as a whole.
Individual consciousness is a duty, we all must accept to be one among the inclusive societies. Truly, in the global circle, the level of personal awareness and the sentiment of commitment can be crucial differentiating factors to filter the developed societies from their developing counterparts. The great sense of individual responsibility in developed societies and the culture of individual accountability for the actions, decisions and repercussions which are detrimental to the society.
Scores of pictures swept across the social media platforms have erupted an ocean of sorrow as the news of the tragedy spread like wildfire, leaving a trail of condolences in its wake.
The Way Forward:
Education, counseling, disaster management, and inclusive measures are the backbone of the planning ladder to avert such future disasters from happening.
Firstly, Awareness and knowledge: Instruction on the risks and safety measures to be taken including how to respond to emergencies is paramount to students as it enables them to make sound decisions but also infuse a non-panicking mentality in the wake of an emergency.
Secondly, critical thinking and problem-solving Skills: When students are able to reason critically and solve problems, they will be able to identity circumstances, detect risks and take the appropriate course of action.
Thirdly, risk assessment and mitigation: Instructing students how to identify and evaluate dangers by the way of organizing small seminars can go a long way in preventing such accidents and incidents from happening.
Fourthly, mental health support: Counseling can assist students in managing widespread stress, anxiety, and trauma. This could decrease the chances of students acting instantly and without considering the outcomes, as a result, of such mental health conditions.
Fifthly, emotional intelligence and empathy: Self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and empathy can also be learnt through counseling which can enable students maintain healthy dialogue and engage in decision making.
Sixthly, conflict resolution and communication: Students need to be taught communication skills, conflict resolution, and other related topics through counseling. This will reduce violence or destruction that stems from poor communication.
Seventhly, disaster Management Skills and emergency preparedness: Students should know how to manage emergencies such as evacuating in a case where there are disasters.
As we mourn the loss of precious lives, let us cherish the fragile gift of life, honor the divine spark that unites us all and renew our commitment to cherishing, protecting, and celebrating the sacred gift of human life.
fidafirdous8@gmail.com
