Thiruvananthapuram: Soon after CPM leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami’s lecture on Kashmir here the other day, a boy came up to him and made an earnest request. With folded hands he told the MLA from Kulgam,”Sir I have only one plea to you. Please for God’s sake do something to stop the use of pellet guns against people of Kashmir. It is wreaking havoc in the valley, please save our brothers and sisters,” said the youth who is pursuing a course in a local college, about 3735 km away from his home.
The 20-year-old student who preferred anonymity said he was witnessing the serious injuries caused by pellet guns. “I want my brothers and sisters to study hard and do well in life. But if they are blinded by pellet guns how will they become engineers and doctors in future,” the student asked. “We Kashmiris cannot live without India and India cannot live without Kashmir. There are elements trying to create problems but we are fully committed to our country,” he said and added that the bond between Kashmiri people and rest of the country needs to be strengthened further.
Pellet guns were introduced as non lethal option following 2010 Kashmir unrest when stone pelting mobs took over the streets. But this time around the injuries caused by pellet guns were unprecedented. The issue reverberated in Parliament on Monday. Speaking in Rajya Sabha, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury urged Centre to ban pellet guns. Though Union Minister Rajnath Singh promised to look for non lethal alternative to pellet guns during his recent visit to Kashmir, there has been no decision yet. "We hope the government will keep its promise," said a student.
