SRINAGAR: The youngest pellet victim in Kashmir’s history has attracted the attention of the newspaper cartoonists. This happened, a day after the government’s announcement a financial help of one lakh rupees to the Shopian family.
“Deputy Commissioner Shopian Dr Owais Ahmed today provided a financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to Hiba Nisar D/O Nisar Ahmad resident of Kapran,” an official spokesman said. “According to the District Administration Shopian, the 18-month girl child’s eye got accidentally injured on 25th of November 2018 in a pellet-firing incident. DC assured Hiba’s parents that Government would provide the baby girl with all kind of support possible for her early recovery.”
Kashmir’s legendary cartoonist Bashir Ahmad Bashir (BAB) has drawn a cartoon suggesting the emergence rate list. “Government approved rates,” the cartoon reads, “One Lakh (for) one eye.” BAB has been drawing cartoons for decades and knows the art of delivering a serious message in a few lines. In his career, he had to fight a long battle to manage a breach of privilege motion “against him mooted by the state assembly.
BAB is editing the Srinagar Times.
But his juniors have not been less critical. Using the same theme, Suhail Naqshbandi of the Greater Kashmir’s work appeared in a major Delhi website as No 1 creation of the day. It showed a Barbie doll packaged with a caption: “Barbarian dolls, Exclusively for Kashmiri Kids.” The package has a doll with one eye covered by the bandage.
“Suhail Naqshbandi has a biting take on the pellet gun injury of 20-month-old Hiba Nisar in Kashmir’s Shopian,” the news portal, the Print reported.
Kashmir Images cartoonist S Tariq has drawn a cartoon suggesting that even when the cops target in one direction, it still hits the eye.
All these creative works are part of the anger that was generated when a Shopian farming couple drove their daughter to SMHS for treatment with one of her eyes severely damaged by a pellet. Identified as Hiba, the pellet victim is 18 months old and lives in Kapran village of Shopian. The village witnessed ding-dong battles between the cops and the restive young men who wanted to rescue the trapped militants. Six militants, a soldier and a civilian protester were killed in the events started with the cordon and concluding with the devastating encounter. The encounter and the site of clashes were different.
Hiba’s mother told reporters that when the clashes were going on between the youth and the cops, she was busy cooking as her two kids were playing within the home premises. Later when the cops fired tear smoke shells intensely, she said the smoke filled the room making breathing difficult for the kids. As it became unbearable, she moved the kids out and it was there that a pellet hit one of the eyes of the minor.
Marsala Jan, the young mother said she put her hand on the face of her kid as her son hid behind her. A cop fired pellets and three reached the mother. Two hit her and one her daughter. Quickly the family boarded an ambulance and it was on way to the hospital that the baby regained her consciousness.
On Friday, the district administration in Shopian granted the family a support of one lakh rupees and assured all help till the baby recovers.
She underwent basic surgery the same day and a follow-up intervention is slated for Wednesday. Doctors are keeping their fingers crossed if the little girl can actually get her eye back.
“So far we have done the primary repair of the wound in her cornea,” one of the doctors treating her said. “The condition is not so good but we will be able to tell you her exact condition after she comes for her follow-up on Wednesday.”
Incidentally, the first girl who was completely blinded by the pellets also belongs to Shopian. Insha Mushtaq was a tenth standard student when she was hit by pellets that destroyed both her eyes. She was hit by the pellets when she was in her kitchen.
