BASHARAT RASHID
Pulwama: As the cases of COVID-19 are increasing with every passing day, the social media users in Kashmir continue to make attempts to prevent its spread.
For last one week, social media users have been using and promoting the Kashmiri hashtag titled as #TalsaGharreyBehew (Stay at Home), just to request the people to stay indoors for their safety.
After making the rounds, this hashtag went viral now and is day by day getting positive responses from the netizens, on all the social media platforms where users has been posting it repeatedly, asking others users to promote this for public awareness.
Irrespective of age, community, caste, religion, the hashtag is being updated by everyone here, which indicates that all the sections of people unanimously want to fight with the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19) by staying at home all the time.
In this connection, a doctor in one of the sub district hospitals of South Kashmir, namely Dr. Junaid Ahmad, hailed this hashtag idea, and said that it could be very helpful, keeping in view the current situation post COVID-19 outbreak.
“It gives me immense pleasure to see this hashtag #TalsaGharreyBehew, everywhere on social media. Such steps are the only solution to fight this pandemic. I think everyone should follow the message in it,” Dr. Junaid said.
Umar Nisar (20), one of the youngest Radio Jockeys in Kashmir, associated to FM Tadka said that “Of course #TalsaGharreyBehew is need of the hour because a dialect is the best way to make people understand the importance of social distancing.”
Meanwhile, a Gujjar student activist, Chowdary Jaffar Ali, expressed pleasure over this hashtag and said that Gujjars also support it and request the people to stay indoors.
Superintendent of Police (SSP), Awantipora, South Kashmir, Tahir Saleem Khan has said that “the best remedy for the people is to stay at home.”
He said that police is already trying their best to impose strict restrictions in every part for the safety of people here, and “the jawans stay on the roads day & night, even in the rains, to safeguard” the public from this pandemic.
Khan said that restrictions will continue till the situation returns to normal.
He however appealed the people having the travel history of outside the state “not to conceal.