Insha Mushtaq, a 16-year-old girl, was watching protests from the kitchen window of her house when a policeman fired a pellet gun straight into her face. A year later, it is a life of darkness for Insha, who is blind in both eyes.
A resident of a picturesque village in Shopian some 60 km from Srinagar, Insha, once a lively girl, now hardly moves out of her house. Life has come to a virtual standstill for her.
Not able to celebrate Eid with her friends this year like before, Insha said the festival used to be full of fun but not anymore.
“On Eid I used to visit friends and relatives' homes for greetings. A day before Eid I used to go to the market with my family to buy new clothes and sweets. I would enjoy it so much. But this year, I couldn’t go anywhere,” she said.
Insha is not alone in her world of darkness. According to the book, “Kashmir Scar of Pellet Gun” written by Manan Bukhari, Kashmir has had more than 1,500 pellet victims since 2010. Around 70 per cent of the victims have eye injuries which have left them partially or fully blind.
Suhail Farooq, 17, was hit by pellets at Qamarwari area in Srinagar on 16 December 2015. For the next week, Suhail was admitted in a hospital before he was taken for treatment to Amritsar, and then to Chandigarh. In the past one-and-a-half years more than Rs 1 lakh has been spent on Suhail's treatment, but to no avail. He is not able to see, and always keeps his eyes closed.
“I still have pellets in my neck and head. I often suffer from headaches,” Suhail said.
Most of the victims alleged that they have received minimal help from the government. “Most of the medicines are very costly, which many families are not able to afford. The pellets leave lifelong injuries, and we need regular check-ups within or outside Kashmir,” said Amir Kabir, a pellet victim from Baramulla in north Kashmir. Kabir has developed infection in his eyes. He still has some pellets in his head.
Various organisations and Baitul-ul-Maals (community funds) have played a pivotal role in providing money for the victims.
Nineteen-year-old Danish Rajjab Jat, whose left eye has been removed by doctors owing to serious pellet injuries, said it was the community funds that helped him to travel to Hyderabad for the treatment.
On 17 July 2016, Danish who hails from Rainawari locality of Srinagar was targeted by CRPF personnel when he was sitting in front of a shop with four other boys at Rainawari chowk.
“I don’t have a left eye. And I am hardly able to see from my right eye. My life is ruined,” he said.
Danish said that initially politicians (mainstream and separatist) ensured all help to the pellet victims but now everybody has forgotten about them.
“We have been left to God’s mercy,” Danish said.