Nearly a decade after the 2016 Kashmir unrest, the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals permanently scarred by pellet-gun injuries continue to be defined by struggle and unfulfilled potential. Abdul Ahad, a 39-year-old resident of north Kashmir, exemplifies this ongoing reality. He is the father of three young daughters, whom he cherishes and cares for with profound love, yet he has never seen their faces. Ahad lost his vision entirely during the widespread protests that erupted following the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani in July 2016. His world plunged into darkness on September 7, 2016, when, while searching for his siblings, he was struck in the eyes by metal pellets. The last image etched in his memory is of security force vehicles. He recalls, “The last image in my mind is of the security forces. The vehicles stationed on the road looked empty. Suddenly, pellets were fired at me, and my life plunged into a world of darkness.”
Information reaching Tahir Rihat suggests that Ahad, then 29, underwent multiple treatments in Srinagar and later in Hyderabad with the support of an NGO, but his eyesight could not be restored. He has not even seen his wife, whom he married two years after the incident. Describing his current existence, Ahad states, “Life is now like a jail for me… every day is a new challenge and a struggle.” He admits to experiencing moments of despair, even contemplating ending his life, but his family and children provide him with the will to persevere. Ahad is one of many who were permanently maimed by pellet guns, a crowd-control weapon that ignited a significant national debate regarding its use. The Jammu and Kashmir government had previously estimated the number of pellet-gun victims to be over 6,000.
The enduring impact of these injuries is further highlighted by the case of Hiba Nisar, believed to be the youngest victim. At just 20 months old, she was hit by a pellet while looking out from her home in Shopian district. Today, Hiba is in the second grade, but she has zero vision in her right eye. Her father, Nisar Ahmad, shared with Tribune India that each day presents new challenges for his daughter. He recounted, “As she is growing up, she keeps asking why she can’t see from her right eye whenever she faces problems while walking.” The family’s life has become a cycle of frequent hospital visits. Ahmad noted the initial years were particularly difficult as Hiba struggled to adapt. “Today, as she is disabled for life, we have to assist her everywhere, and this will be her reality forever,” he said. While financial compensation was provided, Ahmad believes a government job later in life is crucial to secure Hiba’s future, emphasizing, “Being blind is very difficult.”
In the same district, the story of Insha Mushtaq, a 23-year-old from Sedow village, has become a prominent symbol of the 2016 pellet victims. Blind in both eyes, Insha is currently pursuing an undergraduate Arts degree through distance education. Her life was irrevocably altered in 2016 when she was looking out of her uncle’s house window, and security forces fired pellets toward the street. Despite extensive surgical interventions at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi and in Mumbai, her vision could not be restored. Her mother, Afroza Begum, expressed the profound pain of witnessing her daughter’s fate, stating, “For a mother, it is a world of darkness. I can only feel the pain. The unfortunate thing is that she was blinded at such a young age.” Insha herself is channeling her energy into her education, though she admits her academic path was not her first choice. “I had no interest in Arts; my passion was always science and medicine, but destiny had this tragedy in store for me. I am studying forcibly… my focus is just to finish this programme,” she shared.
The article reports that following a prolonged bureaucratic delay, the Omar Abdullah-led government approved an LPG distributorship for Insha, which had been sanctioned in 2018. However, Insha expressed a sense of injustice and disparity in public and political attention, particularly in light of recent protests in Delhi concerning pellet-gun use. She questioned, “They are talking about Delhi (protests), and it has reached Parliament. It has become such a big issue there; they will get justice. But what justice did we get?” She further voiced her frustration regarding public perception, mentioning a recent movie that she felt downplayed the severity of pellet-gun injuries. “Mothers of hundreds of kids are crying over this condition. In a recent movie, I heard someone claim that pellets don’t cause severe injury. I wanted to meet the movie director and tell him what being blinded by pellets actually means,” she stated.
Medical experts have consistently noted the devastating impact of pellet cartridges, which are filled with hundreds of lead balls. These projectiles disperse upon impact, making the human eye exceptionally vulnerable. The damage caused by a pellet entering the eye is often irreversible. The ongoing debate over crowd-control tactics and the potential for a complete ban on metallic pellet guns, spurred by a recent petition in the Supreme Court following their use during protests in Delhi, brings the stories of Kashmir’s victims back into focus. These narratives underscore the long-term, profound consequences of the weapon, revealing unhealed physical and emotional wounds, dreams irrevocably altered, and a daily battle for normalcy that continues years later. The victims and their families often face significant challenges in accessing adequate long-term support, rehabilitation, and societal reintegration, highlighting a persistent need for comprehensive care and acknowledgment of their enduring suffering.
Tahir Rihat (also known as Tahir Bilal) is an independent journalist, activist, and digital media professional from the Chenab Valley of Jammu and Kashmir, India. He is best known for his work as the Online Editor at The Chenab Times.
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