A young man’s life has been wrecked by “non-lethal” pellets that have blinded him in one eye, lodged themselves in hundreds in his entire body, many close to his heart, and shattered his dream of going to Bangalore to study an undergraduate course. A gun’s entire ammunition of 200 pellets was fired into his chest, abdomen, face, from point-blank range just because he found himself standing before a murderous man in uniform.
Mudassir Ahmad Lone, 18 years old, had no inkling that he would be shot at so brutally, for he was merely participating in a peaceful protest in his native Makhahama village in Budgam district. Jahangir Ahmad, a childhood friend who is looking after Mudassir at the SKIMS hospital, said that his friend was shot on Monday last week, three days after Hizb commander Burhan Wani was killed.
Jahangir said that his friend was one among hundreds who were holding a peaceful protest in Makhahama village. There was heavy deployment of gun-wielding forces at the village, and this provocation in the charged atmosphere, a clash erupted. The unarmed people faced the wrath of army, police and paramilitary forces which rained bullets and pellets on them, injuring dozens. Those who were hit by bullets have fortunately recuperated, but most, like Mudassir, who sustained injuries above the waist from pellets, are still in hospital, their bodies ridden with wounds.
‘Life has taken an ugly turn,’ Jahangir said, grieving for his friend. Doctors have said that the chances of Mudassir regaining sight in his left eye are “zero”. Four pellets have penetrated into his left eye. Doctors, doing their duty, are still treating him at SKIMS.
One of the doctors said, “We tried hard to save the eyesight but four pellets have made enough penetration and caused heavy damage to the eye. Treatment is on but his chances of regaining eyesight are almost zero.”
The X-Ray of Mudassir’s body shows 170 pellets lodged in his body, after doctors have removed many pellets from there.
Recalling the horrific day, Mudassir said, “A policeman came near to me and opened fire. I thought he was frightening me and I did not expect that he would shoot me from such close range. If he had a machine gun, he would have emptied that on me, too.’’
Two pellets penetrated his body and hit his heart. The doctors say that it won’t create a problem, but Mudassir is worried. He repeatedly picks up his X-Ray scan and tries to locate the two pellets that are near his heart.
The doctor treating Mudassir said, “Two pellets are near the heart but will cause no harm to the normal functioning of his heart or any organ of the body.”
Mudassir said that the doctors were “just comforting” him. Mudassir was to move to Bangalore this year for an undergraduate course. That, for now, is a plan that lies in tatters, like his skin