Sheikh SaaliqTanha Ansari: A forgotten legend. Read more ... »

After crossing the harsh restrictions imposed by the administration on all the bridges connecting to Old Town BaramullaVideo: CM Omar Abdullah breaks down in Assembly. Read more ... », I am directed towards Kashif’s house by a pack of young Children playing Cricket on the street. Kashif was hit by pellets yesterday on Azad Gunj Bridge Baramulla.

In a room where a group of young people are chattering, a frail body stricken to bed is laying with his back facing the skies. A lady, probably his mother, sitting next to him is combing his hair with her fingers. As I take my place amidst the people in the room, his mother lifts the blanket to uncover Kashif. His back bears pigpen marks, as if he has been stung by a flood of bees. When inquired about the marks, Kashif in his low voice says “These are pellet marks. Some of them are still inside my flesh. It pains a lot”.

Kashif was hit by pellets yesterday in his back and thigh. The doctors at District Hospital Baramulla have advised him to visit the hospital after 3Violent clashes continue in Baramulla, Bandipora shuts. Read more ... » more days. One of his friends who was with Kashif when he was hit by pellets said that Kashif was pumped with pellets from only a meter’s distance. “The CRPF personnel fired at Kashif knowing that he was only a meter away. The pellets have torn his flesh apart.” Kashif was later taken to the hospital – he was among the very few who were let through by forces deployed on the Bridge. Others were treated in a local dispensary set up in the interiors of Old town Baramulla.

Zahoor is a Class 12Sarpanch shot dead in North Kashmir. Read more ... » student. In his early twenties he looks no different than a teenage boy from the country side. Sitting with his friends in a newly painted room with brand new plastered walls, Zahoor is playing Carom. “I am new at playing Carom. I never to used to play it before” he says with a grin on his face. As he bends forward to play his turn, a sudden yell bursts from his mouth and when inquired about, he undresses himself in no time and shows his back. The upper portion of his body looks swollen and bruised. His back bears numerous little holes, through which blood still oozes out. He says yesterday he tried to count these little holes with the help of one of his friends and when the count reached 40Cement factories turning monsters in Khrew. Read more ... » he asked his friend to stop. Zahoor was hit by pellets just a day before.

“I was on the cement bridge, when I heard a loud burst. As I, along with my friends, ran for cover, I did not know what pierced my back. I was crying in pain and when I was taken to a nearby dispensary, I heard someone saying that I was hit by pellets” Zahoor says.

Yesterday when most of the towns in KashmirWill Resign en-mass if Attacks Continue: AJKPC. Read more ... » were limping to normalcy, Baramulla again woke up to the loud sounds of Teargas shells being fired. In no time clashes started and many like Zahoor went to throw stones. “My friends, who watched from a distance, say that when I was running for safety, a CRPF personnel fired a pellet shot directly at me. At that time it felt like someone was putting hot iron needles in my Back” Zahoor says.

Teargas shells and bullets have already taken many lives, when fired by Indian paramilitary forces during clashes with civilians but this newly introduced Pellet gun which pumps hundreds of pellets at a trigger, can also cause severe damage that often leads to death. Many youth who have lost their eyesight in the recent years are courtesy to the pellet guns.

A protester getting treated in Baramulla at an undisclosed place after being hit by pellets | Photo by Yaqoob Lala‘Army Killed Tahir before he could offer Namaz’ - Father. Read more ... »

Amir was hit by pellets in 2010 when he was accompanying his mother to the nearby District hospital. He lost his eyesight. He says that security personnel are using these new tactics not only to kill the youth but also make them impaired for their life so that they can never raise their voice. “I used to join protests and at times, I even used to throw stones. But that day I was accompanying my mother to the hospital. Without any reason they showered pellets on my face and left me blind for my whole life” Amir says, with his eyes fixed to the ground.

Twelve year old Sajad, Umar in his late twenties and Mohammad Saleem in his forties are among many of those who were hit by pellets yesterday in Baramulla. According to the doctors as many as 18Doctors and paramedical staff assaulted in Srinagar. Read more ... » people from Baramulla were hit by pellets yesterday of which the 2Late Night clashes in Baramulla, 5 youth and 2 BSF men injured. Read more ... » injured were referred to SKIMS for further treatment.

Touseef is among many others who were hit by pellets yesterday. He can hardly walk from his room to the bathroom. He was hit in both his legs. “First they used heavy teargas shelling to disperse the peaceful protesters and when they saw that we were running for safety, they showered us with pellets leaving scores injured” Touseef says.

“They are not humans. When people tried to take us to the hospital, the security forces deployed on all the three bridges connecting Old Town to the rest of the town and the Hospitals, didn’t let us through. All the injured were taken back and were treated at a local dispensary run by a local medic at his home” he added.

In Old town, which is often called bastion of Resistance in Baramulla, a medic with some help from the local people has set up a dispensary. Usually people hit by pellets and with bruises and cuts are being treated here. After my promise to keep the information about its location confidential, the medic said, “We know that the security personals deployed on the Bridges don’t let the injured to be taken to the hospital and that’s why we have started a small first aid dispensary here. I myself have treated many people. Yesterday I treated a dozen of youth who were hit by pellets. But I being the only one who can do the Job, it’s very hard to take care of the injured. They need to be taken to the Hospital but forces deployed on the Bridge, which connects us to the Hospital usually don’t let the injured go through”. Fearing that this dispensary might also be raided by ArmyThree army men shot dead in Tral. Read more ... » or the Police, the people of the locality have kept the location undisclosed to many of the outsiders.

A Doctor at District Hospital Baramulla after wishing anonymity said that these pellets are more dangerous than Bullets. “A bullet can Kill only one person or damage a particular body part but treating the pellet hit patients is far more difficult. We are receiving cases in which youth are hit by pellets on their face, stomach, back and legs. It is barbarism” he lamented.

Large number of Casualties with Pellet injuries pouring in the hospital emergency wards is common since the latest protests erupted in the Valley. Pertinently two people from Sheeri also lost their eyesight when they were protesting against the hanging of Afzal GuruA Letter to a Father from his Son. Read more ... » last month. Both have been sent to Chandigarh for further treatment.

(Some names have been changed on the request of the Injured)