Ban pellet-guns in J&K: Amnesty
It’s responsible for blinding, killing hundreds in Valley, says rights body
Amnesty International has called for a blanket ban on the use of pellet shotgun on protesters in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it has caused fatal injuries to several people and blindness among scores others.
The Amnesty India released a new briefing titled “Losing Sight in Kashmir: The Impact of Pellet-Firing Shotguns” simultaneously in Srinagar and Delhi on Wednesday. It presents the cases of 88 people whose eyesight was damaged by metal pellets fired from
pump-action shotguns used by the Jammu and Kashmir police and CRPF between 2014 and 2017. Several victims of the pellet shotgun use were also present during the Amnesty India briefing here to share their distressful stories.
While releasing the report, Amnesty India’s Executive Director Aakar Patel called on the central and State governments to immediately stop the use of pellet-firing shotguns and ensure that the use of all other weapons is in line with international human rights standards on use of force. “In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, said that change in Kashmir will not come from guns or abuses – na goli, na gali. If the government truly means this, they must end the use of pellet-firing shotguns, which have caused immense suffering in Kashmir,” he said.
The report says that pellet-firing shotguns have been responsible for blinding, killing and traumatising hundreds of people in Kashmir and, therefore, these must be immediately banned. It says, “Authorities claim the pellet shotgun is not lethal, but the injuries and deaths caused by this cruel weapon bear testimony to how dangerous, inaccurate and indiscriminate it is. There is no proper way to use pelletfiring shotguns. It is irresponsible of authorities to continue the use of these shotguns despite being aware of the damage they do.”
The Amnesty presents the cases of 88 people whose eyesight was damaged by metal pellets fired used by the J&K police and CRPF between 2014 and 2017