L'estate rossa del Kashmir

BY SAQIB MAJEED

Nel reparto numero 8 del Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital si percepisce tutta l’agonia dei giovani del Kashmir: da oltre un mese le forze di sicurezza stanno reprimendo le proteste con proiettili ad aria compressa.

E il bilancio dei feriti è raccapricciante, stando a quanto riferito dai medici che curano questi pazienti. Le forze di sicurezza sparano soprattutto al volto e agli occhi, e i medici hanno definito la situazione “estremamente grave”: i proiettili utilizzati infatti, seppur dichiarati ‘non letali’ dagli agenti, provocano delle ferite devastanti in un tessuto delicato quale è quello dell’occhio.

“Il proiettile entra velocemente nell’occhio e lacera i tessuti con cui entra in contatto. Le ferite sono profonde e si infettano facilmente”, ha dichiarato un oculista del reparto. Nelle settimane precedenti, alcuni manifestanti sono stati fortunati e le lacerazioni hanno interessato “soltanto” l’occhio colpito; ma la maggior parte di loro hanno avuto complicazioni preoccupanti, hanno dichiarato i medici.

Si teme che oltre il 90% dei pazienti non riuscirà a recuperare completamente la vista.

Ward No 8 at general specialty SMHS hospital here clearly reflects the agony of Kashmiri youth who have been hit by pellets by forces during street protests in the past month.

And the scale of injuries and injured is gruesome, according to medicos treating these patients at the Ward. For the first time since the injured, mostly hit with pellets in face and eyes, started pouring in at this Ward, medicos are admitting that the situation is “extremely grave.”

Doctors said a pellet causes devastating wounds in soft tissues such as eyes.

“It enters with a high velocity, whirls around, scraping tissues it comes in contact with and causes deep and dirty wounds,” said an eye surgeon.

While a handful of people hit by pellets in the past 28 days have been lucky to get only lacerations in the affected eye, most have issues to worry about, the doctors said.

Over 90 percent of cases will not be able to regain complete vision, they fear.

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Tariq Ahmad, whose eye was damaged after Indian government forces fired pellets at him during a protest rests on a hospital bed in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. Hospitals in India’s portion of Kashmir are overwhelmed, with hundreds of wounded patients pouring in as the region reels from days of clashes between anti-India protesters and government troops. The violence erupted over the weekend after government troops killed a top leader of Hizbul Mujahideen, the largest rebel group fighting Indian rule in the troubled Himalayan region.

M. Imran, who got wounded after being hit by pellets during a protest recovers at a hospital in Srinagar, Indian administered Kashmir. Hospitals in India’s portion of Kashmir are overwhelmed, with hundreds of wounded patients pouring in as the region reels from days of clashes between anti-india protesters and government troops. The violence erupted over the weekend after govt troops killed a top leader of Hizbul Mujahideen, the largest rebel group fighting India rule in the troubled Himalayan region.

Tariq Ahmad (name changed) , whose eye was damaged after Indian government forces fired pellets at him during a protest rests on a hospital bed in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir.

Youth who got wounded after being hit by pellets during a protest, at SMHS hospital Srinagar, Indian administered Kashmir.

A wounded Kashmiri boy, with an injured eye, lies on a hospital bed after being hit by pellets during a protest recovers at a hospital in Srinagar, Indian administered Kashmir.

A wounded Kashmiri boy displays his damaged eye as he lies on a hospital bed in Srinagar. The boy was hit by pellets fired by Indian security forces during a protest.

Abid Khan, whose eye was damaged after Indian government forces fired pellets at him during a protest rests on a hospital bed in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir.

A wounded Kashmiri boy displays his damaged eye as he lies on a hospital bed in Srinagar. The boy was hit by pellets fired by Indian security forces during a protest.

Five year-old Zohra Zahoor has pellet wounds in her legs . According to her aunt, Naseema Jan, pellets were fired from a police vehicle at members of the family when they stood outside their home on Wednesday.

A Kashmiri youth with an eye injury sustained after he was hit by pellets fired by Indian security forces during a protest in Srinagar.

“La maggior parte dei giovani qui ricoverati è stata colpita al volto, e i proiettili sono ancora conficcati negli occhi”, hanno detto i dottori.

“Con delle ferite simili, le possibilità di recuperare completamente la vista sono del 10%. Nel resto dei casi, si arriverà inevitabilmente alla perdita della vista – completa o parziale – a prescindere da chi li operi”.

Chi è nel SMHS Hospital per questo tipo di ferite sta sperando contro ogni speranza. Il Dottor Sundaram Natarajan, specialista del vitreo della retina di fama internazionale, ha definito l’entità delle ferite subite dai manifestanti del Kashmir come “disastrosa”. Pochi giorni fa Natarajan ha affermato che non meno di 140 ragazzi hanno la retina danneggiata dai proiettili.

Le proteste sono scoppiate dopo l’8 luglio, data in cui è stato ucciso Burhan Muzaffar Wanim, comandante del gruppo separatista Hizbul Mujahedeen. Da allora il reparto di oftalmologia dell’ospedale ha ricoverato almeno 211 persone – tra cui minori – che presentavano ferite agli occhi causate da proiettili ad aria compressa.

“Le ferite sono gravi. Si tratta di ragazzi. È una situazione disastrosa, è la prima volta che vedo qualcosa del genere, ha dichiarato il dottor Natrajan.

“Most of the people we have here have been hit right in the eyes and pellets are still embedded in their eyes,” said the doctors.

“With such wounds, chances of complete restoration of vision in the injured eye are 10 percent.” “In rest of the injured cases, partial or complete loss of vision is inevitable, no matter where they seek treatment,” the doctors said.

Those admitted in various wards in SMHS Hospital with pellet injuries in eyes are hoping against hope. Describing the scale of pellet injuries in Kashmir during the ongoing unrest as “disaster-like”, internationally acclaimed vitreous retina specialist Dr S Natarajan said at least 140 of the injured had their retina damaged by the pellets.

In the past weeks since the protests broke out in Kashmir after the July 8 killing of Hizbul Mujahedeen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani, the Ophthalmology Department at the hospital has admitted at least 211 persons including minors with pellet injuries to their eyes.

“The injuries suffered by the patients are bad. They are young people. It is a disaster like situation and I am seeing such a situation for the first time,” said Dr Natrajan.

Majeed Saqib è un ingegnere e fotoreporter freelance, che il caso ha voluto nel Kashmir controllato dall’India

Majeed Saqib is an engineer by profession and a freelance photojournalist by circumstances from Indian controlled Kashmir

Profilo dell'autore

Saqib Majeed

è un giornalista freelance di base nel Kashmir amministrato dall'India. È il primo kashmiro (e il secondo asiatico) ad aver vinto il premio "Wisden - MCC Cricket Photo of the year".

Saqib Majeed is a freelance journalist based in Indian administered Kashmir. He is the first Kashmiri (and second asian) to win the "Wisden - MCC Cricket Photo of the year" award.