Blinded At 14, Woman Recalls J&K "Pellet Gun Horror" After Delhi Protest

Insha Mushtaq is the face of 'pellet horror' in Jammu and Kashmir. At 14, she was struck by a barrage of pellets that permanently blinded her. Now, the recent use of pellet guns during the student protests in Delhi has brought back horrifying memories of this crowd-control weapon. A large number of people in Kashmir valley have suffered lifelong disabilities including loss of eyesight but are reluctant to speak. Pellet guns have not been used in Kashmir valley for some time due to a change in the ground situation. However, hundreds of victims like Insha stand as witnesses on how lethal pump-action could be when it is used to deal with protests or law and order situations. In 2016, Kashmir saw the biggest mass-blinding campaign. Of 12,000 people who were injured, at least 6,000 were hit by pellets during periods of unrest. The foreign media called it an "epidemic of dead eye".