Altaf Hamid Rao.
MIRPUR (AJK), (Parliament Times) : Urdu-Language ‘Rassam e Dharti’ – an anthology comprising research work on COVID-19 – hit regime of Human Life the world-over including Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir – since the outbreak of the epidemic in last quarter of year of 2019, is all set to be launched next month.
Authored by illustrious writer, analyst and research scholar of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, in State-run Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST) Ijaz Saleem, also the author of two books titled ‘Tameer e Millat’ and ‘Israar – e – Fitrat’ containing research work in the backdrop of the issues confronted by the social system, the formation of best human character and the point of its climax, ‘Rassam-e-Dharti’ contains the life-style of human being, emerged of the negative repercussions of the novel Corona Virus (Covid-19) disease caused of the contradiction to the system of nature – as according to the author’s deep-rooted research.
It is worthwhile to mention here that this is the first marvelous piece of high intellect and pen authored by a seasoned writer Ijaz Saleem on the outbreak of the COVID-19 ever since the pandemic gripped various parts of the world including Pakistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir in almost February last year – containing very informative material about the primary causes of its outburst through different dimensions and the measures to avert the threat of its deadly repercussions against the human health.
Unveiling the salient features of the unprecedented objectives of producing the book on COVID-19, the author Ijaz Saleem, the elder brother of Mirpur Senior Superintendent of Police Raja Irfan Saleem, said while talking to journalists at his residence here on Tuesday that the outbreak of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created a global health crisis that has had a deep impact on the way we perceive our world and our everyday lives. Not only the rate of contagion and patterns of transmission threatens our sense of agency, but the safety measures put in place to contain the spread of the virus also require social distancing by refraining from doing what is inherently human, which is to find solace in the company of others.
Within this context of physical threat, social and physical distancing, as well as public alarm, what has been (and can be) the role of the different intellect class in our lives on individual, social and societal levels?
The simple but impressive ceremony was graced by seasoned intellect class besides SSP Irfan Saleem and others.
The intellect class – like the author Raja Ijaz Saleem, the son of the soil, have long been recognized as powerful forces shaping how we experience the world and ourselves. This recognition is accompanied by a growing volume of research – as he did while inking his book ‘Rassam e Dharti’ – that closely follows the footsteps of technological transformations (e.g. radio, movies, television, the internet, mobiles) and the zeitgeist (e.g. cold war, 9/11, climate change) in an attempt to map the intelectuals major impacts on how we perceive ourselves, both as individuals and citizens.
Is the intellect class including the media still able to convey a sense of unity reaching large audiences, or are messages lost in the noisy crowd of mass self-communication ? Do Ijaz Saleem-like intellectuals provide solace or grounds for misinformation, (de) humanization, and discrimination ? Can we harness the flexibility and ubiquity of media technologies to increase the public’s adherence to the safety measures suggested by global health organizations to combat the spread of COVID-19 ? How can different means of media running by the seasoned writers and intellectual promote adaptive responses to foster positive health attitudes and adherence to preventive measures?
Within this ample framework of complexity, the book‘Rassam e Dharti’ suggesting social issues impact and the researcher’s role during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the following subtopics :- Effective health communication for the adoption of sustainable preventive measures and curtailing misinformation; Public health communication to increase psychological resources and resilience in distinct age groups and socioeconomic conditions; Effective strategies for helping individuals in dealing with social and physical distancing; Reduction of stigma, prejudice, discrimination, and inequalities.
Type of articles include the Research Report, Community Case Study, Data Report, Original Research and Systematic Review.
The research work, the author Raja Ijaz Saleem underlined during a chat to the media here today, is in progress the world over to ascertain the root causes of the outburst of the prevailing second spell of the epidemic side by side devising the preventive measures to avert the impending permanent threat of the pandemic to the human life.
‘Rassam e Dharti’, Ijaz Saleem said, will be at the illustrious book stalls across the country – besides in Britain – particularly – the second home of over a million of the Pakistani and Kashmiri Diaspora community – next month this year.
