Blinded by pellets, Kashmiri girl clears class 12 exam

Insha Mushtaq, who was blinded by pellet guns during the 2016 summer agitation in the wake of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, has passed the class 12th board examination with flying colours.

The 22-year-old secured 319 marks out of 500 in the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education, the result for which were declared on Friday.

A resident of the Sedow area of Shopian in south Kashmir, Insha had cleared the Class 10 examination two years after losing her vision.

While everything around her seemed dark, she never lost hope. Her indomitable spirit and unwavering support system led her to achieve success, defying all odds.

She has credited her success to her family.

"After Class 10, I joined Delhi Public School, Srinagar and took a three-year courser in computers and English speaking. I qualified Class 11 in 2021 and have now qualified class 12," Insha told PTI.

"My family was adamant that I study. They told me not to lose hope and courage, study and become independent," she said.

Insha, who had become the face of pellet victims to lose their vision, also expressed gratitude to Jammu and Kashmir Centre For Peace And Justice -- a non-governmental organisation for their support.

"JKCPJ director Nadir Ali supported me. They rehabilitated me from 2018, providing me education," she added.

Now Insha wants to pursue her bachelor's degree and take coaching classes for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam.

"I want to become an IAS officer so that I can become an example for all the visually impaired persons. I want each one of them to become independent and move ahead in life," she said.

She also highlighted the need for a school for the visually impaired in different parts of the country, adding that there is little awareness in the Kashmir valley on the subject due to which the visually impaired are falling behind.

Insha was hit by pellets on July 11, 2016, three days after Wani – the commander of a militant outfit – was killed in an encounter with the security forces. She was at her home and had opened a window to look outside when the tragedy struck.

Many other people, too, had become the victims of the pellet guns during the agitation that lasted a few months.