SRINAGAR: Amid the ongoing debate over the use of pellet guns, Kashmir pellet survivor Insha Mushtaq, who lost vision in both eyes after being hit in a pellet firing by paramilitary personnel in 2016, has finally been rehabilitated, with the Jammu and Kashmir government sanctioning Rs 41 lakh to make her LPG distributorship operational.
"Justice delayed but not denied. Insha Mushtaq lost her eyesight to pellets in 2016; her LPG distributorship was sanctioned in 2018 but left incomplete," J&K Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Satish Sharma posted on X.
He said that under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the government had approved the release of the remaining Rs 41.16 lakh to finally take the case to its logical conclusion.
Although the LPG distributorship was sanctioned in 2018 as part of her rehabilitation, it remained unimplemented l for years.
On July 9, 2016, when Insha was 14 and preparing for her Class 8 examinations, she was hit by pellets inside her home in Sedow village of south Kashmir's Shopian district during CRPF pellet firing.
She suffered severe injuries to both eyes and permanently lost her vision.
Despite undergoing multiple surgeries in Srinagar, at AIIMS New Delhi, Aditya Jyoti Hospital in Mumbai and other hospitals, followed by prolonged medical care, doctors were unable to restore her eyesight.
During the 2016 unrest in the Valley following the killing of Hizb commander Burhan Wani, more than 6,000 people, mostly youth, were hit by pellets in security forces firing. Hundreds of those injured lost their eyesight, while many, including Insha, were left permanently blind.
Despite her disability, Insha continued her education with determination and passed her Class 10 examination two years after losing her vision.
She is determined to pursue her studies further and is currently pursuing her graduation through Braille while also using assistive technologies such as screen readers.
Her parents, teachers, relatives and friends have encouraged and motivated her to continue her education.