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Blinded at 14 by pellets, Kashmiri woman pursues studies
Times of India··29 Jul
Insha Mushtaq, blinded by pellet gun injuries during Jammu and Kashmir's 2016 unrest at the age of 14, is now 24 and continuing her graduate studies from her home in Shopian using Braille and assistive technology. She said she does not want to keep revisiting her past, adding that remembering it does not help and only causes her pain.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Anyone following debates on crowd control methods gains a human reminder of the long term impact such weapons can have on individuals.
- It highlights available support systems, like assistive technology and Braille education, that can help people rebuild their lives after disability.
- Readers get a perspective often missing from political debates, that of a survivor who simply wants to be more than a symbol.
What's Happening
- Insha Mushtaq, blinded by pellets during Jammu and Kashmir's 2016 unrest at age 14, is now 24 and pursuing graduate studies using Braille.
- Recent pellet gun use during NEET related student protests in Delhi has renewed public attention on her decade old story.
- She said she wants to complete her education and find a job, but finds it painful whenever her story resurfaces in the news.
A Face That Keeps Returning To The News
- Insha was hit by pellets in July 2016 while sitting near a window in her home, days after a militant commander's killing sparked unrest.
- She suffered around 100 pellet wounds and has undergone multiple surgeries, none of which restored her eyesight.
- About 6,000 people were hit by pellets during periods of unrest in Kashmir, with hundreds left partially or fully blind.
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