Unemployed electropaths threaten to commit suicide in Kashmir

Three doctors, qualified in Electropathy, an alternative system of medicine, climbed atop a telecommunication tower here on Monday morning, threatening to kill themselves, unless the State Government promised them jobs.

Srinagar, July 2 : Three doctors, qualified in Electropathy, an alternative system of medicine, climbed atop a telecommunication tower here on Monday morning, threatening to kill themselves, unless the State Government promised them jobs.

The doctors climbed up with petrol cans and threatened to set themselves afire or jump from the tower if the state government failed to agree to their demands.

The doctors, who have been on a protest for over two months, said Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had failed to keep his promise made recently.

Manzoor, an electropathy doctor, said: "The Government asked for our papers four months back. We submitted our papers, and now after four months, the government is saying that we are not registered. Therefore, they cannot provide us jobs under the new scheme. We have been sitting on hunger strike for the last 80 days."

The system treats diseases through the use of electricity.

Electropathy and naturopathy are alternative systems of medicine, but not recognized by various state governments or the Indian Medical Council.

Protesters argue that Amchis, doctors practicing the Tibetan traditional medicine widely prevalent in Ladakh, is recognised by the State Government.

ANI