Mubashir Naik
Muzammil Sheikh, a woman is at her tiny confectionary shop, she runs it, after her husband Nazir Ahmed passed away, She has been the walking stick to her for the past three years.
Her son Farzan Nazir was an aspiring ‘software engineer’ but on 17 March 2017, When everything was normal Farzan Nazir Sheikh went to Market to buy milk for his family.
“Before I could have reached to shop, forces start firing pellets indiscriminately. I was hit on my left eye. After hitting pellets, forces tried to arrest me but I somehow managed to escape from the spot in deep pain,” Farzan told The Kashmiriyat.
“My face was bleeding; I wasn’t able to see clearly. As my eye start paining, I was searching shelter & seeking help from people,” Farzan said as he pointed out towards his left eye.
As Farzan traveled few meters away from the spot, he saw few boys who picked him up by his arms and with blood oozing from his left eye, they took Farzan to SHMS, A Srinagar Hospital, straightaway without informing Nazir Ahmed or Farzan’s family. Doctors operated successfully & Farzan was admitted in the hospital for 5 to 6 days.
This day, Farzan didn’t lose his dream of Becoming “software engineer” or remain in touch with his book in order to appear in his 10th Class board exam. “I started studying, and worked hard and finally cleared my class 10th exams.”
On 17 August 2017, Unfortunate Farzan was sleeping on his bed but the street light in front of his house was irritating his sleep continuously, it was around 10:30 PM when Farzan decided to switch off that street light.
“As I went out to switch off the light, I saw people were moving normally. As soon as I switch off the light, suddenly there was a rain of pellets upon me,” Farzan told The Kashmiriyat.
“Initially, I thought I had been hit with bullet, I ran home, as I walked ahead, I realized both of my eyes had been hit with pellets, I tried to walk further, but could not see anything. My mother, with the help of neighbors took me to hospital and this second time too, on our way to hospital, the forces tried to arrest me.”
“I was kept in hospital for around two weeks and three surgeries was done during that time.”
Farzan’s mother is fearful that someday she might lose a little of him they possess now. “It is a sad sight, we have to see out son at home every day, helpless and demanding help.”
After being hit twice by pellets on both eyes, a determined Farzan did not give up his studies. He appeared in his 10th Class board exam. “That was the time I realized, I could not fulfill my dream of being a software engineer.”
He said that the worst regret was that he could not write his own exam despite waiting eagerly for the exam. “I sat in exam Hall & a helper wrote my answer sheet on my behalf, although I qualified my exam but couldn’t continue my studies due to tumbling eyesight.”
Farzan says the worst regret he has in his life is that his dream were snatched from him.
At the age of 18, Farzan is fed up with life and cursing himself for not being hit with bullets instead of pellets on the second occasion. “I don’t know why I was targeted twice and If they wanted to kill me why did they not fire bullets at me.”
“I loved colours and the mazes around Srinagar; I loved the site of lakes and mountains around me.” Farzan says that his days are passing right now but he is afraid about his future. “I fear that I have become a burden over my family so I don’t want to live this life now. I will prefer death over this life”
Farzan has been living a “miserable life “and whenever he goes out with his friends to play cricket or any other game, he remains a mute spectator because he has not enough sight left in his eyes to play the game anymore.
Nowadays the craze of selfies is on peak , Farzan is least bothered because it’s another painful sight for him, “Whenever my friends click selfies “I put my head down to hide my damaged eyes. I went to Amritsar & Indore hospital with the hope of regaining my sight but all in vain.”
At Indore hospital the Doctors told me “we will operate your eyes, but there is 90% chances of losing the remaining eyesight “. 70% of my sight is damaged as per Doctors.”
He has been operated upon seven times since he was wounded and he has not gained his eyesight back.
Farzan wishes that the pellet mutation should stop immediately.
“Yesterday, it was me, tomorrow it might be another. I wish nobody should experience, through J am going right now. If pellets are not banned, the process of this violence will take many people sight in future .”
“Many people have died due to this lethal weapon & thousands have received serious injuries & it’s time high to ban it now,” Farzan told The Kasmiriyat.
The rampant use of pellet guns has destroyed the lives of several thousand people, including children in Kashmir. Though the Indian Government consider it as a “Non-lethal” weapon.
According to the reports of Association of Parents of Disappeared People (APDP), 15000 people were injured during the Burhan unrest &among 4,500 were due to pellet-firing shotguns,” the report states.
“More than 352 civilians were partially or completely blinded by pellet-firing shotguns. The figures for pellet-injured victims continue to be revised upwards as many do not report their injuries.”
Report states that Most of pellet victims’ age is between 13 to 23 years. The report also noted that a majority of the pellet victims belong to impoverished or economically marginalized families 18 years old Farzan Nazir Sheikh is among such victim.