Blinded by pellets in 2016, young JK woman finally gets her Rs 41-lakh due

Insha was 15 when she was blinded, three days after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani. (File Photo)A day after the J&K government approved the release of compensation in her favour, Insha Mushtaq, one of Kashmir’s youngest pellet victims from the 2016 unrest, said that the weapon “should never be used anywhere in India because pellets destroy lives”. Insha was 15 when she was blinded, three days after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani. There were protests in her village of Sedow, and she had opened the window of her home to see the commotion outside when scores of pellets hit her face. She also suffered fractures to her face and skull.An LPG distributorship was sanctioned in her favour in 2018, but the funds were not released as the PDP-BJP government fell and soon after, the assembly was dissolved. “Justice delayed but not denied. Insha Mushtaq lost her eyesight to pellets in 2016; her LPG distributorship was sanctioned in 2018 but left incomplete. Under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, we have approved the release of the Rs 41.16 lakh balance to finally take this case to its logical conclusion,” J&K Food and Civil Supplies minister Satish Sharma announced. On Friday, Sharma told The Indian Express that when the assistance was announced for Insha during the previous government, about Rs 20 lakh had been released to her for this agency, but the balance of over Rs 41 lakh has been cleared just now. “This was not done under any government scheme or programme; we have made special provision for her,” he said. Expressing her gratitude to Abdullah, Insha said on Friday, “Pellets should never be used anywhere in India because they destroy lives, like mine has been destroyed.” She said that thousands have suffered like her in Kashmir and “pellets should be banned.”Story continues below this ad Having undergone a lot of difficulties adjusting to a new life without her sight, Insha said, “I used to think I would not be able to do anything with my life. God helped me, and my parents motivated me to push forth in life.” In 2018, Insha cleared her Class 10 exam with the help of a writer. She is currently in the final year of her bachelor’s degree. “I fought this over the last ten years, and it was a struggle, but now I am grateful for where I am,” she said. In January 2018, then-chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had announced a gas agency for Insha to help make her independent in the future. At the time, Mufti had said in the J&K Assembly that for “social inclusion and integration”, people whose vision was impaired due to pellets were given financial assistance and even jobs. Insha was given a gas agency “to stand on her feet”, she told the Assembly, adding that these persons would be given special training in collaboration with a local institution so that they don’t have to depend on anybody for the rest of their life.Story continues below this ad The funds for the agency, however, took eight years to come through, in the absence of an elected government in J&K. Naveed Iqbal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, and reports from Jammu and Kashmir. With a career spanning over 15 years in frontline journalism, Naveed provides authoritative reporting on the region’s transition, governance, and the socio-political implications of national policies. Expertise Regional Specialization: Based in the Srinagar and New Delhi bureaus, Naveed has spent over a decade documenting the unique challenges of Jammu and Kashmir. Her reporting is distinguished by deep contextual knowledge of the region's post-Article 370, statehood debates, and local electoral politics. Key Coverage Beats: Her extensive body of work covers: Politics & Governance: Tracking the National Conference (NC), PDP, and BJP dynamics, including in-depth coverage of J&K’s first Assembly sessions and Rajya Sabha polls following the reorganization of the state. Internal Security & Justice: Pro