These children are scarred for life

Islam,Terrorism and Jihad

03 Apr 2008, NewAgeIslam.Com

These children are scarred for life

By Anubha Sawhney Joshi,  25 May 2008   Their stories have the same beginning. "Once upon a time, there was a bomb blast..." But what follows is no fairytale. For the children injured in the serial blasts that rocked Jaipur, reality has hit home at a very early age. Some have lost limbs, others have multiple injuries. Some search in vain for family members who will never return. And all are permanently scarred. Searching for answers: Four-year-old Subhana Khan has been discharged from hospital. But she's a long way from home. The bubbly child for whom comfort meant her mother Sumaira's lap stares vacantly into the camera lens. Her silky hair has been replaced by a bald pate after a pellet in her skull was removed. Her blood-stained frock has been discarded for a t-shirt that makes her look more like a little boy. But Subhana is oblivious to all this. "She asks for her Ammi all the time. In hospital, we told her she was home, now we say she's in Mumbai. We hope she'll forget for now and we will tell her once she's older," informs her uncle. Subhana's family has decided to make her stay on in Jaipur with her nani, while her father and brother will return to Mumbai. "We think that's best because she is close to her nani, who has lost three daughters to the blasts. Plus Mustafa won't be able to bring up a girl by himself," adds the uncle. Doctors believe Subhana is doing well medically. Says Dr R S Mittal, the HoD neuro-surgery at Jaipur's SMS Hospital, "Most of her wounds have healed. In fact, she was walking inside the ward with her grandmother, to the delight of every one there." Emotionally, though, it's another story. "She is still keeping unusually quiet and is very scared. The effect of this shock will take a long time to wear off," says Mittal. While in hospital, Subhana has heard the word 'blast' again and again. Little wonder, then, that she asked her father, "Papa, blast kya hota hai?" (Papa, what is a blast?). Unfortunately, Mustafa has no answers to give his little daughter... Alina Maroof proudly shows off pellets in her stomach. "Doctor uncle says I can go home with them still here," she says, pointing to her belly, her eyes dancing. Suddenly, she sees her mother Anisa's vacant gaze and stops smiling. "They're taking me home but they took Ilina away," says Alina, her face crumpling. Ilina, her baby sister, was killed in the blasts. There's a picture of Ilina under Alina's pillow. It's stained with tears. Shahid was working at a flower shop near one of the blast sites. An explosion left him severely injured and minus his right eye. "I don't want to live," says the well built 15-year-old. "They had to tie him down after they told him about his eye," says his mother, who has no idea how to deal with his trauma. Psychological first aid: "Children experience more Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) than adults do and find it more difficult to bounce back. This is mainly because they don't get the right kind of support in such situations," says Dr Rajat Mitra, director, Swanchetan Society for Mental Health. "Children react differently, during and after an act of terrorism or other crisis, depending on their age, developmental level, and prior experience. Some will respond by withdrawing, while others will become agitated or irritable," explains psychiatrist Sanjay Chugh, MD. He also warns of a rather deceptive state of 'pseudo-normalcy' most children portray, which tends to mislead the adults around. Typically, there will be fear and worry about their own safety and that of others (including pets), Also, fear of separation from family members and therefore clinging to parents, siblings, or teachers is seen. "The worry that another attack will come is a huge scare, as a result of which the child will avoid being in a similar place. Angry outbursts or tantrums are common, as are increase in physical complaints, such as headaches and stomach aches. It is not unusual to see a change in school performance, sleep patterns and appetite, along with regressive behaviour such as baby-talk, bed wetting, or tantrums, " says a page from America's National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). A study done by Swanchetan on children after the Delhi blasts shows that depression and suicidal tendencies are deeper rooted in kids than adults. Help from outside: We cannot have a repeat of the Bhopal disaster. "The trauma of the 27 children officially 'maintained' by the Madhay Pradesh govt, and thousands of others not included in the government records, was not just the loss of their loved ones but also sicknesses and uncertainties about the future. None among the 27 were ever provided any mental health care, and one of them privately diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia committed suicide two years ago," informs Satinath Sarangi, member, Bhopal group for information and action. "In a situation like the Jaipur blasts, the impact on children is enormous. Care needs to be taken to ensure that both physical and psychological needs are looked into. Children must have that which they are familiar and comfortable with. The government must fulfil its responsibility and protect children's rights," says Indrajit Bose (manager, development support) at CRY. Go down to their level: Mitra urges that society should help children form bonds immediately after a tragedy. "This may not always be possible with the parents because they're too busy dealing with their own trauma and have most likely regressed and become children themselves." Also, children don't get to share their experience from a therapeutic point of view. And, in India, they are never made to interact with other kids in the same situation — with adult supervision, of course. "Parents should spend time talking to their children, letting them know that it is okay to ask questions and to share their worries. Issues may come up more than once, and parents should remain patient and open to answering the same questions more than once," say experts at NCTSN. "Children can't comprehend larger issues of grief, death, violence or terrorism. We have to get down to their level and explain the why, what and how of the events that took place," adds Chugh. With constant attention and tender loving care, the words 'happily ever after' will come out of storybooks into the lives of the children scarred by the Jaipur blasts. anubha.sawhney@timesgroup.com