SANJAY PANDITA
Born on October 13, 1955, in Srinagar, Kashmir, Dr. Mushtaq Ahmed Margoob emerged from the bosom of a culturally rich and historically resilient land to become a towering figure in Indian psychiatry. His name echoes with reverence not only across medical institutions and academic journals but also in the homes and hearts of countless individuals who found solace through his healing hands and humane vision. As a psychiatrist, educator, researcher, and ethical sentinel, Dr. Margoob has dedicated over four decades of his life to the cause of mental health, transforming it from a neglected facet of healthcare into a vibrant and dignified domain of public discourse in the conflict-ridden terrain of Jammu and Kashmir.
His early medical journey began at the Government Medical College, Srinagar, where he earned his M.B.B.S. degree in 1978. A subsequent internship and house job in dermatology at SMHS Hospital from 1979 to 1982 offered him a wide lens into clinical medicine. Yet, it was psychiatry that beckoned to his inner calling, drawing him toward the intricate landscape of the human mind, especially in a society increasingly scarred by political unrest and trauma. He completed his postgraduate specialization, earning his M.D. in Psychiatry from the same institution in 1985, and immersed himself in an extensive psychiatric residency from 1982 to 1988. These were the formative years, years of careful observation, deep empathy, and passionate learning that would soon translate into a transformative vision for mental health care.
Dr. Margoob’s academic and professional arc is marked by a graceful ascendancy rooted in merit, perseverance, and compassion. He served the Government Medical College Srinagar in ascending roles—Lecturer, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and finally as Professor and Head of the Department of Psychiatry by 2008. His tenure was defined by scholarly rigour and an unwavering dedication to patient care. His appointment as Medical Superintendent of the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences-Kashmir (IMHANS-K) from 2010 to 2013 proved transformative. It was here that his administrative acumen fused with his clinical wisdom. He redefined the Institute’s mandate, transforming it into a modern, dynamic Centre of Excellence equipped not only with infrastructure and research capabilities but also with an ethos centered on patient dignity and community integration.
Yet, perhaps the most poignant chapter in Dr. Margoob’s career began in 1990, amid the socio-political upheaval that engulfed Kashmir. Recognizing the enormous psychosocial toll of prolonged violence, displacement, and uncertainty, he founded SAWAB—Supporting Always Wholeheartedly All Broken-hearted. What began as a one-man mobile mental health outreach initiative soon grew into a pioneering movement of community psychiatry. SAWAB provided not just counselling or medication; it offered presence, understanding, and a language for pain in a society numbed by unrelenting trauma. Operating in remote villages and urban pockets alike, SAWAB reached out to those silenced by stigma, distance, and poverty, becoming a crucible for community healing. In 2011, on World Mental Health Day, SAWAB joined hands with the Voluntary Medicare Society of Jammu and Kashmir as a specialty center, thus institutionalizing its innovative community outreach methods.
The strength of SAWAB lay in its inclusivity. With trained volunteers, young psychiatrists, and public-private collaboration, it created a model where mental health care was both affordable and accessible, tailored to local cultural contexts, and rooted in mutual learning. The model emphasized skill-sharing, low-cost manpower training, and real-time interventions—attributes that continue to be vital in crisis zones globally. Young psychiatric trainees under Dr. Margoob’s tutelage not only learnt clinical skills but imbibed the values of empathy, humility, and ethical clarity. For many, their professional awakening began not in lecture halls, but in the raw, unfiltered spaces of Kashmiri homes where trauma and resilience coexisted.
Dr. Margoob’s work transcended Kashmir’s boundaries, placing him firmly in the international arena of disaster psychiatry and trauma care. In 2018, he addressed the Presidential Symposium at the World Congress of Psychiatry in Mexico City, presenting pioneering intervention models developed in South Asia’s conflict and disaster zones. His lecture, anchored in years of on-ground work in Kashmir, offered insights into the long-term mental health consequences of political violence and natural calamities. Days prior, he had delivered a keynote lecture in Montreal at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, emphasizing community outcomes and sustainable care models. These weren’t just academic engagements—they were affirmations of a lifetime’s work being acknowledged on the world stage.
In the realm of research, Dr. Margoob remains a trailblazer. His studies probe deeply into the neurobiological underpinnings of psychiatric disorders, especially Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a condition profoundly prevalent in conflict-ravaged populations. His collaborations with global experts such as Dr. Ashok Malla, Srividya Iyer, and Ridha Joober yielded seminal work on adapting psychiatric care for youth in turmoil-struck regions. His research on oxidative stress, hippocampal changes, and cognitive dysfunction in PTSD patients undergoing long-term treatment has added layers of clinical insight to a field often devoid of real-world applicability. What distinguishes his research is the seamless integration of laboratory precision with lived human experience, crafting a knowledge base that is both scientifically robust and profoundly humane.
Dr. Margoob has lent his editorial expertise to numerous prestigious journals. As Field Editor of the Indian Journal of Psychiatry and board member of other significant publications, he has been instrumental in shaping contemporary psychiatric literature, especially encouraging young scholars from marginalized regions to contribute to global discourse. His mentorship over nearly four decades produced not just competent psychiatrists but conscientious thinkers, several of whom now lead departments and institutions across India.
His influence in institutional ethics and policy formation is equally commendable. A founding member of Institutional Ethical Committees at both Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences and Government Medical College Srinagar, Dr. Margoob helped institutionalize principles of medical ethics in research and clinical practice. He served as a key consultant to the University of Kashmir during the establishment of its Department of Psychology, thereby influencing the academic structuring of mental health education in the region.
Nationally, his role in policy advocacy was pivotal. As a member of the National Consultative Committee for the National Mental Health Programme in Bangalore and the State Nodal Officer for the same program in Jammu and Kashmir from 2004 to 2009, he ensured that mental health strategies were grounded in on-ground realities rather than theoretical assumptions. His association with organizations like the Indian Association of Private Psychiatry, Society for Bipolar Disorders, and the Indian Association for Social Psychiatry demonstrates the breadth of his involvement in shaping mental health practice and advocacy.
His leadership during times of collective trauma has been nothing short of exemplary. Following the devastating South Asian earthquake in 2005, Dr. Margoob coordinated the Kashmir Earthquake Group under the World Psychiatric Association. As Chairman of the Disaster Management Task Force of the Indian Psychiatric Society from 2010 to 2018, he was at the forefront of developing responsive, culturally relevant disaster psychiatry frameworks. He also served on expert groups that drafted treatment recommendations and policy white papers for the mental health needs of the Kashmiri population—documents that continue to guide interventions today.
A philosopher at heart, Dr. Margoob’s passion for ethics led him to head the North India Bioethics Unit under the Asia Pacific Network of UNESCO Chair in Bioethics since 2013. His role as Visiting Professor at SRM University in Chennai and Honorary Professor at the Islamic University of Science and Technology in Awantipora further exemplify his commitment to integrating ethical reasoning into medical practice. He has tirelessly championed a vision of psychiatry that is not only clinically sound but also morally anchored—a field that remembers its humanity even amidst scientific advancement.
Dr. Mushtaq Ahmed Margoob’s life is a study in silent revolutions. With a career that balances academic excellence, clinical compassion, and ethical responsibility, he has redefined what it means to be a mental health professional in times of peace and conflict alike. His story is not just that of a psychiatrist; it is of a thinker, a builder, a teacher, and above all, a healer whose influence will continue to ripple through time.
For Kashmir, a land of extraordinary beauty shadowed by prolonged suffering, Dr. Margoob has been a silent guardian—offering a voice to the voiceless, method to the chaos, and hope amidst despair. In psychiatric wards, earthquake-hit hamlets, international conferences, or village homes, his presence has remained unwaveringly committed to the cause of healing. His legacy is not built merely on positions held or awards received, but in the quiet resilience of those who, through him, learned to breathe a little easier, sleep a little better, and dream once again.
The writer can be reached at sanjaypanditasp@gmail.com
