The question, "Who will answer those youth who were hit by pellets in 2010 and 2016 in Kashmir?" continues to resonate across the region. It is not merely a political question but also a humanitarian, legal, and moral one. Hundreds of young people were injured during the unrest that swept through Kashmir in 2010 and again in 2016. Many suffered life-changing injuries, particularly to their eyes, leaving some with partial or complete loss of vision.
Pellet-firing shotguns were introduced by security forces as a crowd-control weapon, intended to be a less lethal alternative to live ammunition. However, the widespread use of these weapons during protests resulted in severe injuries to many civilians. Hospitals in Srinagar and other districts treated large numbers of patients with pellet wounds, especially eye injuries. Medical professionals documented cases involving permanent blindness, facial disfigurement, and long-term physical and psychological trauma.
Families of those injured have repeatedly sought justice, accountability, and support. Many victims required multiple surgeries, prolonged medical treatment, and rehabilitation. For those who lost their eyesight or suffered permanent disabilities, the consequences extended beyond physical pain. Their education, employment opportunities, and everyday lives were profoundly affected.
Human rights organizations, including international bodies and domestic civil society groups, have called for impartial investigations into allegations of excessive use of force and have urged authorities to ensure accountability wherever violations of the law are established. They have also recommended adequate compensation, rehabilitation, and access to medical care for victims. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and organizations such as Amnesty International have expressed concern over the humanitarian impact of pellet-firing shotguns in Kashmir.
The Government of India and security agencies have maintained that pellet guns were employed as a crowd-control measure during periods of intense violence and were considered a less lethal alternative to live ammunition. Officials have also stated that security personnel faced difficult operational circumstances and that efforts have been made over time to review and improve crowd-control methods, including considering alternatives to pellet-firing shotguns.
The search for answers continues through courts, public debate, media reporting, and human rights advocacy. For many affected families, accountability means transparent investigations, fair legal processes, recognition of their suffering, and meaningful rehabilitation. Others emphasize the need for broader reforms to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Regardless of political viewpoints, the human suffering caused by these events cannot be overlooked. Every society has a responsibility to protect life, uphold the rule of law, and ensure that allegations of excessive force are examined fairly and independently. Equally important is providing long-term medical care, psychological support, educational assistance, and economic rehabilitation to those whose lives were permanently altered.
The story of the pellet victims is ultimately about more than a weapon or a protest. It is about young lives changed forever and the continuing pursuit of justice, accountability, and healing. The question of who will answer for their suffering remains part of the broader conversation on human rights, governance, and reconciliation in Kashmir.
Pellet Victims Welfare Trust (PVWT) - Kashmir, is a community trust founded in September 2017 by few pellet victims of Kashmir. The Trust was formed to address the issues of relief and rehabilitation of pellet victims of Kashmir valley.
Ph: 070060 34114
WhatsApp : 96226 88779
e-mail: pellevictimswelfaretrust@gmail.com
