Ubeer Naqushbandi

SRINAGAR

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Photos by reporter.

In ward 2(A) at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura, every peering eye at three beds lying adjacent to each other gets moist. Reason: three boys—Waseem A Parray (14) of Neehama Pulwama, Ruhail (13) of Budroo Pahalgam and Arif A Bhat (18) of Shalteng HMT from now on will be disabled.

The trio were taken here after non-stop bullets—aftermath of 21-year-old Hizb Commander Burhan Wani’s death—sent them packing to the hospital. Three of them were shot by forces at three different places. But, they have one thing in common: their bullet-ridden legs.

Their families aren’t only worried about their recovery, but also about their altered life.

The younger among them—Waseem, is unable to say anything. He withers in pain. Sitting by his side is his visibly-shaken father, Shabir Ahmed Parray.

“Just opposite to our home,” the father recalls, “is an army’s RR camp.” On July 9, at around 9am, he says, “my son was washing Maruti 800 in his lawn. In the meantime there was procession comprised of young boys in the age group of 10-20 from adjacent village.”

Sloganeering of protestors was first responded with sling shots by army men, he says. “Agitated, protestors retaliated back with stones. This continued for 15-20 minutes. Then, suddenly there was barrage of bullets.” Not knowing that his son had got bullet, Shabir thought better to stay in. It was only after one neighbour informed him that his own son had received bullets.

“Before I could decide anything, my son was already taken to Kulgam hospital.”

At Kulgam hospital, the desperate father saw the face of his injured son. It was in Kulgam hospital that medicos informed Shabir that his son had received two bullets in his right leg.

Waseen was then referred to Barzulla hospital where he was operated upon. He had to undergo another surgery at SKIMS.

Medicos are not sure to what extent bullet has caused damage in Waseem’s right leg. “Nothing much can be said about chances of success in these cases, but unfortunately only surety is ‘disability’.”

Unlike Waseem, Burhan’s killing had caused rage inside 13-year-old Ruhail of Budroo Pahalgam. His maternal uncle Irshad Hussain says Ruhail was part of pro-Burhan protest march.

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On July 9, the procession march was taken from Budroo of which Ruhail was part of. As it reached near Cirkadal Pahalgam, personnel of Indo Tibetian Border Police (ITBP) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) deployed there on account of annual Amarnath Yatra didn’t allowed procession to proceed. Refusing to go back, the procession was adamant to move forward.

“This angered forces personnel who fired bullets and in that carnage, my nephew got bullets in lower limbs. It is not clear how many bullets,” says Irshad.

Medicos say bullets were enough to make him ‘disable’. “He has bullet injury in thigh resulting into no blood flow into the foot, making it dead. This condition requires amputation,” says one medico wishing anonymity.

On bed no. 26 adjacent to the duo, Arif Bhat (18) asks his brother to wipe his mouth. Arif is motionless. A resident of Shalteng, Arif says, “on Wednesday evening at around 6pm, he ventured out to purchase vegetables. My father is a truck driver by profession and remains mostly outside. Being eldest in the family, responsibility of household chores is on me.”

On reaching market, Arif says, there were clashes going on between protestors and police. Sensing trouble Arif decided to return home. “I had not yet decided to move back home that forces firing tear gas shells chasing away protestors,” says Arif. He ran and took shelter in nearby complex—mainly rented by outside labourers.

Then, after an hour, feeling danger was over, Arif moved out of complex, not realising that two policemen had laid a trap around. “As soon as I ventured out from upper storey, two policemen emerged and fired directly. I knew one—as he used to practice with me in local gymnasium,” says Arif.

Medicos say his right leg have received bullets. “We had to do grafting of his right leg.”

But the sad news is, like the other two teen patients, athletic Arif will be now disabled for life.

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