SRINAGAR: Acknowledging that militancy-related violence has declined in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para has moved a Private Member’s Bill in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly seeking formal recognition and redressal of conflict-induced psychological trauma and social harm in the Union Territory.
The proposed legislation, titled “Jammu and Kashmir Reconciliation, Trauma Healing and Dignity Bill, 2026,” has been submitted to the J&K Assembly Secretariat for introduction during the Budget Session, which commenced in Jammu on Tuesday.
According to Para, the Bill aims to recognise and address what it describes as a public health crisis arising from prolonged exposure to violence and instability, including psychological trauma, emotional distress and social harm.
Doctors say decades of militancy-related violence have taken a significant toll on the mental health of the population in the Valley, leading to a steady rise in mental health disorders.
An increasing number of people are seeking treatment for anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological conditions.
Hospitals, including the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar and other health facilities across the Valley, are witnessing a surge in patients with mental health disorders.
Para said the Bill seeks to establish a statutory framework for trauma healing, psychosocial rehabilitation, restorative dialogue and reconciliation, while giving effect to the right to life with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
It is designed to function in harmony with the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, with the stated objective of promoting human dignity, social cohesion, resilience and sustainable peace.
Highlighting the rationale behind the proposed law, Para states in the Bill that Jammu and Kashmir has endured years of violence that have deeply affected public mental health and social cohesion.
“While there has been a decline in violence since 2019, psychological distress and trauma continue to affect individuals and communities, with implications for public health, trust in institutions, and long-term stability,” it says.
“The prolonged exposure to violence and instability has imposed profound and differentiated human costs upon various sections of society, including Kashmiri Muslims, Kashmiri Pandits, and members of the Indian security forces, among others,” the Bill states.
Invoking the provisions of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, the Bill proposes the use of existing public health systems to deliver trauma-informed care, psychosocial rehabilitation and restorative dialogue.
It emphasises a humane, non-political and evidence-based approach, stating that sustainable peace requires healing at both individual and community levels.
The proposed legislation outlines that all actions under the Act would be guided by principles of human dignity, compassion, non-discrimination, voluntariness, informed consent, confidentiality and cultural sensitivity.
It explicitly rejects any punitive or political character and states that every affected person shall be treated with compassion, dignity and fairness.
According to Para, implementation of the Bill would require an initial allocation of Rs 50 crore from the Consolidated Fund of the Union Territory to strengthen mental health services, train and engage professionals, roll out community-based healing programmes, and support monitoring and administrative mechanisms.
If introduced and debated, the Bill would mark the first legislative attempt in militancy-hit Jammu and Kashmir to formally address the psychological aftermath of more than three decades of conflict.