Among the many human rights issues in Indian-Occupied Kashmir, the use of pellet-firing shotguns against civilian protesters stands out for its brutality. Since their widespread deployment in 2010, pellet guns have become a symbol of the disproportionate force used against Kashmiri civilians — particularly young men and children.
What Pellet Guns Do
A pellet gun fires hundreds of small metal pellets in a single shot. When fired at close range, as has been frequently documented in Kashmir, pellets penetrate the skin, damage internal organs, and critically — destroy eyesight. Hundreds of Kashmiris, including children, have suffered permanent blindness as a result.
The Scale of the Problem
Doctors at SMHS Hospital in Srinagar have documented thousands of cases since 2010. During the 2016 protests following the killing of Burhan Wani, over 1,000 people were admitted with pellet injuries in a single week. This is a systematic pattern, not isolated incidents.
There is nothing non-lethal about a weapon that blinds children. Kashmeeriyat calls for an immediate ban on the use of pellet guns in any civilian context in Jammu & Kashmir.