Category: Community

Records nail Centre’s claim; ‘378 eyes hit by pellets in 28 days’

Editor

In the past 28 days of Kashmir unrest, at least 378 eyes have been hit by pellets resulting in their loss of vision, hospital records revealed on Friday—the day the Centre told the Supreme Court that only 51 persons with eye-injuries were treated in the Valley hospitals. With no let-up in use of pellet guns and persisting police persecution of the victims, even in hospitals, doctors fear the worse: “more youth may lose eyesight.” The number of youth battling pellet injuries in one or both eyes—and results in loss of…

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Stop using pellet guns on Kashmiri protesters; Amnesty

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Rights group says pellet guns should be banned immediately, a day after third person dies from pellet wounds. Pellet guns have no place in law enforcement and should be banned immediately, human-rights group Amnesty International India has said, following the death of a third person due to injuries inflicted by the weapons in Indian-administered Kashmir. Amnesty’s comments on Thursday come a week after the Indian government promised to set up a panel to investigate the use of pellet guns as a method of crowd control in the region. Since July…

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Pellet in my Eyes

Editor

Bilkees Bhat Me: Oh my sight, oh my dear sight         You left me midway in an endless night Sight: oh my young beholder, how could I          Only You complete me, how could I Me: Then why is that I can’t see the way I used to be          And why is it so dark, please come to me Sight: Not my fault, I was unwilling to leave          Until an evil unleashed a savage heave Me:  How did it happen, I just seem not to know          Was…

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6000 Pellet cartridges used in one month on Kashmir protesters

Editor

Police official says pellets used in Kashmir are ‘bare-metal pellets without rubber coating’ The pellets used by police and Central Reserve Police Force to disperse protesters in Kashmir are “bare-metal pellets” and the Standard Operating Procedure prepared by the Bureau of Police Research and Development for crowd control makes no mention of pellet guns, officials said on Thursday. Police records suggest that in the past more than three weeks, CRPF personnel have fired more than 6000 pellet cartridges in Kashmir to disperse pro testers who hit the Valley streets against…

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After Streets, It Is ‘Fight for Airwaves’ in Tral

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With army, CRPF and police on one side and protesters on the other side, Tral, the hometown of popular militant commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani, is resounding with “pro-India and pro-Pakistan” songs and anthems since Thursday afternoon. “Army is playing pro-India songs on speakers installed atop tall towers placed inside their garrison,” said a local who lives half-a-mile away. As per reports, the main garrison in Tral, which is located on now barricaded Shikargah road, first played: Ae mere watan ke logo zara yaad karo kurbaani (Oh countrymen, remember the sacrifices),…

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Armed with slogans, 5 Yr olds lend hype to ‘Azadi’ Chorus

Editor

While protests, curfews, shutdowns and stone-throwing are not rare in the Valley, the scenes witnessed in the streets of Kashmir have changed. Children as young as five can be seen carrying banners and raising slogans like ‘Hum kya chahte — Azadi’. These children have been exposed to bloodshed and violence for the first time. People say that the new generation is getting consumed by the conflict. “We have blocked this road because we want azadi, there should be complete shutdown. We block this road every day. We are being killed…

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Mehbooba asks; where children of pro-freedom and pro-India leaders are currently

Editor

Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has said that “those  people whose children were studying abroad were instigating other children to violence” and “many forces have joined hands to vitiate atmosphere in the valley.” She has not named anyone. In the only elaborate statement on the protests, she again referred to unnamed people who “go from place to place”, incite young “boys to attack security installations and escape” while leaving the boys to face bullets and pellets. Since protests occur at several places (a few days ago a police statement said 70…

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Treat Kashmiris as own people; High Court raps Centre on pellet gun injuries

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The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Monday asked security forces and the central government to treat Kashmiris like their own people and not aliens while controlling crowds. In its observations made while hearing a PIL against the use of pellet or pump guns in Kashmir, the court asked the Centre to explain why the injuries suffered by people are above the knees — mostly in the eyes. “You are not treating them as your own people,” observed Chief Justice N Paul Vasanthakumar and Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar while hearing…

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Don’t harm journalists, act with discipline, maturity: Hurriyat (M) tells Youth

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‘Don’t create hurdles for media persons in discharging their professional duties’ People should follow protest programme, open their shops after 6 pm daily Hurriyat (M) on Tuesday asked youth to act with discipline and maturity and stressed on them not to create hurdles for media people in discharging their professional duties. A Hurriyat (M) spokesman said at this crucial juncture of the movement, it is incumbent upon all people especially the youth to act with discipline, maturity and responsibility so that no harm is caused to the cause and none…

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‘Kashmir only place in world where pellet guns are used for crowd control’

Editor

Forces continue its liberal use despite options available: Experts As New Delhi has constituted a team headed by a Joint Secretary in the Union Home Ministry to explore alternatives to pellet guns, experts have revealed that options are already available in the market that could render pellets useless and prevent any further damages to life. Pellet guns or Shotguns, commonly used in crowd control since 2010 in Kashmir has caused blindness, maimed people and turned fatal in many cases. Voice has been raised both inside the state as well as…

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