SRI NAGAR – Pellet guns continue to be a major part of crowd controlmeasure for security forces in Kashmir.

After scores were injured and many, including a 15-year-old girl, InshaMushtaq, were blinded by pellets in 2016, the Valley is dealing withanother season of pellet horror. Majid Ahmad Khan, a labourer, isundergoing treatment for pellet injuries to his left eye in Srinagar’s ShriMaharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital. “I suffered the injury in firing bysecurity forces near my home on April 11,” Majid said, New Indian Expresshas reported.

A gunfight had broken out in Khudwani area of Kulgam between terrorists andsecurity personnel on April 11.On learning of the operation, the residentswent to the encounter site to aid the militants’ escape and began peltingstones at the security forces, and they in turn, fired bullets and pelletsguns to dispel the mob.

Unfortunately for Majid, some boys outside his home pelted stones on thesecurity men when they were withdrawing from the area after lifting thecordon. “I was neither part of the protest nor indulging in stone peltingbut had ventured outside to check on my vehicle and was hit by pellets inmy eye,” he said.

Doctors at SMHS Hospital operated on Majid. “After the first surgery, thedoctors told us he needs another,” said Majid’s brother, Mohammad Yaqoob.Hesaid the doctors have told them they are not certain wether Majid would beable to see with his damaged eye. “We have not told Majid because he willget depressed. We have told him that he will be able to see again after thesecond surgery,” Yaqoob said.

Irfan Ahmad Bhat from Nowpora, Kulgam, who was also hit in the left eye inKhudwani the same day, is also undergoing treatment at SMHS Hospital.

“Irfan was operated upon and doctors have told us he needs another surgeryto regain vision,” said his cousin Suhail Ahmad. Twelve others, whosuffered pellet injuries in Khudwani, are undergoing treatment. Dr SaleemTak, medical superintendent of SMHS Hospital, said nine of them sufferedeye injuries.

On April 1, 45 people with pellet injuries sustained during a clash withsecurity forces near two encounter sites in Shopian were also treated atthe hospital. Tak said of the 45 injured brought to the hospital, 25 hadeye injuries. “Fortunately, now, we have got equipment to treat the pelletvictims,” he said.

A doctor, said some of the injured in the Shopian firing were hit bypellets in both eyes. “A few of them are facing imminent partial orcomplete blindness despite surgery,” he said.After fresh pellet injuries,there have been calls again to ban them.

However, CRPF IG Zulfiqar Hasan said, “What will security men do when10,000 people pelt rocks? At least 61 CRPF men were injured in stonepelting on April 11. In the end, they were forced to use pellet guns… Butwe have instructed our men to use them sparingly and fire on the lowerparts of the body.”