Srinagar, Sept. 29 -- As the first light spread across Dal Lake on Monday, a line of brightly painted shikaras glided away from the shore. Inside sat doctors, nurses, and students from the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), rowing in steady pace. People along the banks stopped to watch the calm procession of white coats and fluttering banners.

The boats carried a simple message that hung in the air as firmly as the autumn mist: a strong heart builds a strong future.

The Department of Cardiology at SKIMS chose the lake as the starting point for its World Heart Day program, hoping that a striking image would spark conversation about a problem that is no longer hidden.

Cardiac disease has become one of Kashmir's leadin...