Undeterred by Indian brutality, injured Kashmiri students excel in exams

SRINAGAR: Despite the violence, scars and injuries that they encountered in occupied Kashmir, the students of that area have demonstrated their will and determination by scoring well in board exams. 

The use of pellet guns by the Indian security forces was harshly criticised and condemned around the world. Suhail Gul Mir, an eighteen-year-old student in occupied Kashmir, was blinded in his left eye when a pellet pierced through it one fine day while he was headed to his home. What followed was a series of treatments at the Srinagar’s SMHS hospital. 

This was around July and on November 12, Suhail appeared for his class 12 examinations in the Rohmoo village in strife-torn Pulwama district. The boy performed well in his examinations, scoring an impressive 75% despite his injuries in the arts stream. 

"My marks would have been higher had I not been injured," said Suhail while speaking to an Indian daily. "Studying after four operations was not easy. Every time I tried focusing on the page, my eyes and head would start aching. But I kept going," said the determined student. 

An Indian soldier makes use of a pellet gun to quell protests

According to Suhail's brother Sajad, the family wants to seek treatment in Amritsar as a pellet was still lodged in the posterior of the boy's eye. Suhail's father is a tailor and does not make enough to afford the treatment in Amritsar. 

A similar account is that of Tabish Rafiq Bhat, 16, a resident of Pampore town who was yet another victim of pellet bullets when he was crossing the area on July 9 of last year. Hit by six pellets in his left eye, doctors informed him that he could never see again. Undeterred by the handicap, Tabish took his class 10 exams and scored a cumulative average grade point (CAGP) of 7. 

"I am happy. My family and friends are happy. I thank Allah that I was able to take the exams despite my injury," he said. However, he stated that all was not well since his eye still hurt.

"The pain is still there and no vision has returned to the damaged eye."

According to the families of both Kashmiri students, they were not part of the protesters but merely happened to be crossing by. Caught between protesters and the security forces, the boys had to pay the price as stray pellets hit them and caused injuries.

Protests erupted in occupied Kashmir after the death of freedom fighter Burhan Wani, who was gunned down by Indian security forces. Wani's death triggered protests all over occupied Kashmir and the Indian security forces resorted to brutality, killing as many as 80 innocent people and injuring thousands. Countless were maimed and blinded due to the use of pellet guns.