Kashmiri family bears brunt of continued state terrorism

Srinagar, December 08 (KMS): In occupied Kashmir, a family of Arampora, Sopore, have borne the brunt of continued Indian state terrorism.

The misfortunes of the family started in 2008, when during the Muzaffarabad Chalo march, Fatima and her son Arif were hit by the bullets of Indian troops. This year another tragedy struck the family when Fatima’s 19-year-old son, Wasim lost his eyesight due to the pellets fired by the troops.

“It was on November 6 when Wasim returned from work, freshened up and dressed up in clean clothes. He asked me for a cup of tea and then left to collect some debt,” recalled Wasim’s sister, Zahida, sitting beside her injured brother at a ward of Soura Institute of Medical Sciences.

“Clashes had broken out between protesters and the cops. The cops resorted to baton charge, lobbed teargas canisters to disperse the protesters, and then fired pellets. My brother was hit in the right eye,” she added. “We brought him here. After the surgery, doctors said that my brother has lost eyesight,” said the distraught sister.

Just two years ago, during the Muzaffarbad Chalo march, Wasim’s mother, Fatima was hit by a bullet in her right leg. On the same day her son Arif was also hit by bullets in both legs. Fatima recuperated and could walk again but Arif couldn’t. He walks with the aid of crutches.

Wasim is the youngest of the eight siblings. After his father’s untimely death after prolonged illness ten years ago, he left studies to lend a helping hand to his elder brothers and started working as a laborer.

Wasim doesn’t know that he has lost his eyesight. “What would I do if I lose my eye? I don’t want to be dependent,” he recently told his elder brother, Ashiq. Ashiq said that to console him, Wasim said, ‘Don’t worry. I will be alright.”

Source: Kashmir Media Service.
Link: http://www.kmsnews.org/news/kashmiri-family-bears-brunt-continued-state-terrorism.