Instead of going to hospitals for proper treatment, Kashmiris, who fear that they will be implicated in stone pelting cases, have gone to ironsmiths to get pellets removed from their bodies, Greater Kashmir reported on Thursday.
"We went to blacksmith and used hot needles to remove pellets from our body," one injured youth told the Srinagar-based newspaper.
A group of injured youth explained that they had resorted to ironsmiths and pharmacists to avoid coming to the attention of the police, which could later lead to harassment by the authorities. "Our lives will become hell. Our parents and neighbors will have to bear the brunt if our identity is revealed to police," another injured person toldGreater Kashmir.
Hundreds of Kashmiris have sustained injuries due to pellet guns that shoot out iron balls bearings, which can pierce the body and take out someone's eye. After discussing alternatives to pellet guns, the Indian government has decided that this "non lethal weapon" is here to stay, but its usage would be restricted.
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