DR.FIAZ MAQBOOL FAZILI
There are moments in the life of a society that quietly expose its inner character—its strengths, its fears, its maturity, and its fractures. Recent days in Kashmir, amid rising geopolitical tensions and endless streams of social media speculation, offered one such revealing moment. A few unverified whispers, speculative forwards, and vague fears of disruption were enough to trigger widespread panic across the Valley. Petrol pumps witnessed endless serpentine queues, LPG outlets overflowed with anxious customers, grocery stores saw shelves emptied within hours, and pharmacies experienced a sudden surge of panic purchases.Vehicles lined up bumper to bumper. Tempers rose. Anxiety spreads faster than facts. People rushed not only to fill vehicle tanks but also drums, cans, and every container they could find. The spectacle was striking—not because there was an actual collapse in supply, but because society reacted as though one was imminent.
And then, almost as suddenly, the frenzy disappeared.Two days later, the same petrol stations stood calm and nearly empty, attendants waiting for customers who had already overfilled tanks and stockpiled supplies. The “shortage” had not emerged from a breakdown in supply chains; it had emerged from collective fear.This raises a deeply uncomfortable question: Can’t we change?Can we not learn to respond with reason instead of reacting with panic? Can we not distinguish between preparedness and harmful hoarding? Can we not pause before allowing rumours to dictate public behaviour?What Kashmir witnessed was not merely panic buying. It was a reflection of something deeper—a crisis of trust, restraint, and civic responsibility.
A Crisis Not of Supply, But of Trust; Authorities repeatedly assured the public that fuel, LPG, medicines, and essential commodities were adequately stocked. There was no official announcement of disruption. Yet, a parallel narrative took over public consciousness.WhatsApp groups buzzed relentlessly: “Fill your tanks immediately. ” Store extra LPG cylinders.”“Buy rice, cooking oil, medicines for a month. ” Get emergency supplies before it’s too late. “keep some cash at home. Everyone suddenly became an “expert,” a strategist, a geopolitical analyst, and a crisis predictor. Opinions spread without verification. Speculation was packaged as certainty. Fear became contagious.
And fear, once amplified socially, rarely behaves rationally.One queue outside a petrol station becomes a warning signal. Ten vehicles become a perceived confirmation. Hundreds rushing together create the illusion of an imminent collapse. In such moments, logic retreats and herd behaviour takes control. Ironically, the scarcity people feared was created by their own response to fear. This was not fundamentally a fuel crisis. It was a trust deficit.When societies lose confidence in systems, communication, and collective discipline, perception begins to overpower reality. People stop relying on verified information and instead follow instinct—and instinct during uncertainty is often driven by anxiety rather than evidence.
The Thin Red Line Between Preparedness and Panic; It is important to acknowledge that preparedness itself is not wrong. In uncertain situations, keeping a reasonable reserve of essentials is prudent and responsible. Every family has the right to ensure adequate food, medicines, or fuel for immediate needs.But there exists a red line—a moral, social, and economic boundary.The problem begins when preparation transforms into compulsive accumulation(hoarding). When caution becomes excess. When individuals begin purchasing not according to need, but according to fear of missing out.The red line is crossed when: People buy far beyond immediate requirements, individuals start hoarding supplies in unsafe quantities personal insecurity overrides concern for collective accessone person’s stockpile deprives another family of essentials.At that point, the act ceases to be private preparedness and becomes socially harmful behaviour.The ethical principle is simple:Your right to secure your needs ends where it begins to threaten the rights of others.
The Anatomy of Panic Buying; Panic buying follows a remarkably predictable psychological pattern.First comes the trigger—a rumour, geopolitical tension, viral message, or speculative prediction.Then comes amplification. Social media forwards, dramatic videos, and visual cues like long queues create urgency.Next emerges herd behaviour. People assume that others “know something,” and begin copying their actions.This produces a sudden spike in demand, despite no real change in actual supply.Artificial scarcity follows. Shelves empty. Petrol pumps temporarily run dry. Anxiety deepens.Finally, the cycle collapses once people have overstocked. Demand suddenly vanishes because consumption had been compressed into a short burst of panic.This is precisely what Kashmir witnessed.The shortage was not created by lack of supply—it was created by collective overreaction.
Urban Panic, Rural Calm;One of the most revealing aspects of this episode was the contrast between urban and peripheral areas.
Within municipal limits, especially in densely populated urban centres, panic was highly visible. Queues stretched endlessly. Anxiety dominated public spaces. Social pressure intensified reactions.However, as one moved towards outskirts like Nowgam, Shalteng, and adjoining areas, the atmosphere appeared markedly calmer. There were fewer queues, less urgency, and a more measured response.This contrast is deeply instructive.Urban environments amplify panic because they amplify visibility. Dense populations, rapid information flow, and constant social comparison create an ecosystem where fear spreads quickly. In cities, people constantly observe one another’s behaviour, and this observation itself triggers imitation.Rural and semi-urban communities often function differently. They tend to rely more on lived experience than digital noise. Their pace allows for reflection rather than immediate reaction. Resourcefulness and adaptability are more deeply embedded in daily life.The calm observed outside city limits demonstrated an important truth:Panic is not inevitable. It is learned, socially amplified, and therefore capable of being unlearned.
Did We Learn Nothing from COVID-19? Only a few years ago, humanity faced one of the greatest disruptions in modern history—the COVID-19 pandemic.That was not a rumour. It was a genuine global crisis.Lockdowns were real. Borders closed. Supply chains were disrupted. Hospitals struggled. Fear was understandable.And yet, society endured.Essential services continued. Medicines reached homes. Food supplies were maintained. Communities adapted and survived.If we managed to navigate a crisis of that scale, why do rumours now push us into panic at the slightest hint of uncertainty?Have we learned nothing?Instead of emerging wiser and more resilient after COVID, many societies appear to have become even more psychologically fragile—quicker to fear, quicker to hoard, and quicker to distrust.
The Ethical and Moral Dimension;Beyond economics and psychology lies a deeper moral question.How does a society behave when uncertainty arises?True character is tested not during abundance, but during moments of fear.When individuals rush to accumulate excessively, the vulnerable suffer first—the daily wage labourer, the poor family, the elderly patient needing emergency fuel or medicines, the worker unable to afford inflated prices.
Hoarding is not merely an economic act; it is an ethical one.Religious and moral traditions across cultures strongly discourage exploitative accumulation during times of uncertainty. Islamic teachings, in particular, emphasize moderation, social responsibility, and trust in Allah.Faith does not oppose precaution. Islam teaches balance—“Tie your camel and trust in Allah.” But there is a profound difference between wise preparation and fear-driven greed.
When we scramble to store far beyond our needs, we behave as though survival depends solely on personal accumulation rather than collective resilience and divine provision.True faith reveals itself through composure, restraint, and consideration for others during uncertainty.
Social Media: A Double-Edged Sword;Social media has transformed communication, but it has also transformed panic.Today, misinformation spreads faster than truth. A single unverified message forwarded repeatedly can create widespread behavioural change within minutes.An edited video, an alarmist voice note, or speculative commentary can trigger thousands of impulsive actions before authorities even have time to respond.Digital responsibility has therefore become a civic responsibility.Before forwarding any alarming message, every individual must ask: Is this information verified?What harm could this create if false? Am I informing people or spreading fear? A society that consumes and spreads rumours uncritically becomes vulnerable not only to misinformation, but to manipulation and instability itself.
The Hidden Costs of Panic;The visible consequences of panic buying are obvious—queues, shortages, frustration.But the deeper consequences are often ignored.Panic behaviour leads to:Artificial shortages despite adequate supply,Unsafe storage of fuel and hazardous materials,Inflation and price distortions,Increased inequality, where wealthier individuals accumulate more,Psychological stress and social tension,Breakdown of public order and civility. In extreme situations, such behaviour can even create black markets and law-and-order problems.Thus, panic buying does not merely reflect crisis—it multiplies it.
Learning to Respond Instead of React With Panic;Perhaps the greatest lesson from this episode lies in understanding the difference between reaction and response.A reaction is impulsive and emotional.A response is thoughtful and rational.What Kashmir witnessed was largely reaction—triggered by rumours and amplified by collective anxiety.What society needs instead is response—guided by facts, trust, discipline, and ethical awareness.This requires maturity not only from institutions, but from citizens themselves.Every individual must ask:Do I truly need this quantity?Am I acting on facts or fear?Will my action deprive someone else?If everyone behaves the way I am behaving, will society remain stable—or collapse?The answer to that final question defines whether the red line has been crossed.
TAKE AWAY And PICK N CHOSE : From Panic to Prudence.Kashmir did not run out of fuel.For a brief moment, it ran out of restraint, patience, and trust.The long queues outside petrol pumps were not merely lines for fuel; they were reflections of a deeper social anxiety. They exposed how quickly fear can overpower reason when societies lose confidence in systems and collective discipline.But every crisis—real or perceived—also offers an opportunity.An opportunity to rebuild trust.An opportunity to strengthen civic sense.An opportunity to cultivate restraint, maturity, and responsibility.Preparedness is wisdom.But panic is self-defeating.Societies do not survive through accumulation alone. They survive through balance, trust, and ethical conduct.
And until we learn to distinguish between caution and chaos, between prudence and panic, the uncomfortable question will continue to haunt us:
Can’t we change?
Dr. Fiaz Maqbool Fazili is a healthcare quality expert, and columnist who writes frequently on civic and social issues in Kashmir.
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