Kashmir’s Insha Mushtaq, blinded by pellets, shines light on dark world of victims

First female pellet victim Insha Mushtaq. File | Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad The eyes are covered with cotton balls and dark, large sunglasses hiding them. These images of Insha Mushtaq, a resident of Shopian’s Seadow, became iconic in 2016, as this Class 8 student took a barrage of pellets, damaging both her eyes. Ten years on, Ms. Mushtaq has become a face of resilience, as she continued her studies despite hardships and now managed to get an LPG distributorship to sustain the livelihood. What fast-peddled the LPG agency for Ms. Mushtaq is the recent agitation of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and the use of pellets on protesters at Jantar Mantar, renewing focus on this non-lethal means of crowd control introduced in 2010 in Kashmir first. “The then Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had approved an LPG dealership in my favour in 2018. However, it took 10 years to manage the same. For this, I met with top officials, including the Chief Secretary. But I must thank Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his minister Satish Sharma for making it a reality,” said Ms. Mushtaq, who is a student of final year of Bachelor of Arts (BA).She relies on Braille and assistive technologies like screen readers to ensure her studies are not compromised. Ms. Mushtaq was preparing for her Class 8th examination by the window of her humble home when the security forces, chasing protesters, opened a barrage of pellets in July 2016. Dozens of pellets hit Ms. Mushtaq in her eyes. She had to brave multiple surgeries in Srinagar and later in Delhi, but they failed to restore her eyesight. “I still have a few pellets lodged inside eyes. It needs constant check-ups to avoid any infection,” said Ms. Mushtaq.This year, Ms. Mushtaq has become the first-ever pellet victim to get government aid. The government on Thursday (July 30, 2026) approved the release of ₹41.16 lakh for the completion of the LPG distributorship. It was sanctioned in 2018 as part of a rehabilitation initiative. Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Satish Sharma said the approval of the LPG distributorship in her favour “reflects the government’s commitment to honouring promises made to those awaiting justice”.“While justice had been delayed, it had not been denied. Although an LPG distributorship had been sanctioned in her favour in 2018, the project remained incomplete because the remaining funds had not been released. The present government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has now approved the pending amount to bring the rehabilitation measure to its intended conclusion,” Sharma said.For Ms. Mushtaq, the J&K government may have kept the promises but “real action is required against pellet guns in the country”.“The Supreme Court [SCI] is hearing the case [against pellet guns] after the Jantar Mantar protest. It is a welcome move. However, when hundreds of civilians in Kashmir were hit by pellets, no one heard their voices. I appeal to all, pellet guns should be banned not only in Kashmir but across India,” said Ms. Mushtaq.Over 6,000 civilians suffered pellet injuries in 2016 when street protests broke out after the killing of a Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter in south Kashmir. Published - July 31, 2026 01:20 am IST