‘10 pellet deaths, 1500 serious injuries since 2010’

Greater Kashmir: Srinagar: Sunday, 06 September 2015.

The 283-page book, divided into nine chapters, documents several cases of pellet injuries and has a complete chapter on RTI reports revealing the information about pellet injuries reported across Kash.

At least 10 deaths and 1500 cases of ‘serious injuries’ have come to fore since 2010 when forces in J&K started use of pellet guns to quell separatist protests, a member of Hurriyat Conference (M) said on the release of his book here on the use of pellet guns in the Valley.

“There are at least 10 deaths, which have been reported due to pellet injuries in different hospitals of Kashmir since 2010 and around 1500 cases of pellet injuries have also come to fore. Out of total cases of injuries, 70 percent of patients have suffered damage to their eye(s),” said Mannan Bukhari who heads the legal cell of Hurriyat Conference (M).

He was speaking at the function to release his book ‘Scars of Pellet Gun’ which was chaired by Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Quoting from the book, Mannan said in 2010 the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences had recorded six deaths due to pellet injuries only during August, September and October.

“There will definitely be more cases of deaths and injuries due to use of pellet by forces to quell protests. The youth who receive pellet injuries are reluctant to visit hospitals for treatment fearing state agencies will book them,” said Mannan.

The 283-page book, divided into nine chapters, documents several cases of pellet injuries and has a complete chapter on RTI reports revealing the information about pellet injuries reported across Kashmir.

Described as a “non-lethal weapon” by the government, the use of pellet guns has caused permanent or partial loss of vision to scores of youth. The police and paramilitary CRPF forces started use of pellet guns in Kashmir in 2010 summer uprising in which 120 youth were killed in Kashmir in action by the government forces.

The book, detailing the RTI information, mentions that from 2010 to October 2013 at least 95 youth were admitted in SKIMS for pellet injury treatment out of which 17 victims underwent surgical procedures.

Similarly, the SMHS hospital received 36 pellet injury cases from 2012 to October 2013 including 27 cases of open global injuries and eight cases of closed globe injuries.

“Overall about 14 had no chances of regaining some eyesight on initial examination,” the book mentions.

From January this year, at least 15 cases of pellet injuries have been reported in different hospitals, 13 of them after Peoples Democratic Party-BJP government took over the reins of J&K, the book mentions. Two cases were reported in February this year.

Of the 15 cases, Mannan said, 12 victims suffered “serious injuries” in their eye (s) due to the pellets fired by the state forces.

“Of all the 1500 cases, most of the injured persons were required to go through surgical procedures in and outside the state owing to the severity of the injury,” said Mannan.

“The use of pellet guns is continuing since 2010,” said Mannan. “And the information provided by the state authorities on number of injured persons is manipulative.”

He said the question was not only to ban the use of pellet guns but to provide “justice to victims as well”.

“Those who snatched the eyesight of our youth should be brought to book,” he said.

During its stint in opposition, the PDP repeatedly cornered Omar Abdullah-led government over the use of pellet guns. The party President Mehbooba Mufti had even held protest demonstrations against use of pellet guns and raised the issue in State Assembly too, seeking ban on the weapon.

The PDP after taking over the reins of the state has however continued with the policy of using pellet guns to quell protests.

In May this year the international watchdog Amnesty International asked the State government to stop the use of pellet guns after a teenager from Palhalan in Baramulla, Hamid Nazir, received multiple pellet injuries in his eyes, face and head in action by police and CRPF. The AI had termed the use of pellet guns as “inherently inaccurate and indiscriminate”.

Hurriyat leaders including Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam, civil society members Dr Altaf Hussain and Dr Javaid Iqbal were present on the occasion. Some of them also spoke on the occasion.