The dead in Kashmir's latest cycle of violence are gone forever. But those with eye injuries from the pellet guns are now staring at a dark future as many of them are in danger of turning blind forever.
Ridiculously defined as non lethal means of crowd control, the pellet gun has emerged as the new weapon of choice for police and CRPF.
The police line of defence is that they are left with no choice as using live ammunition amounts to more fatalities.
The Mehbooba Mufti government is pursuing to replace the 'deadly' pellet guns for crowd management.
A Kashmiri doctor takes out the pellets from the body of a Kashmiri youth. Pic courtesy: Getty Images)
Both police and CRPF have made generous use of pellet guns without caring for the damaging consequences it brings for its victims like the little Tamanna.
The 10-year old is being treated for injury in her left eye.
Tears trickle down her eyes as this reporter asked her about the injury. Her mother shudders to recall the nightmare.
Her mother says there were clashes between police and protesters in the area when suddenly they heard firing shots.
"She fell down and cried out loudly seeking attention of the family. When I looked her in the eye, I was terrified," Her mother said.
Umar Khalid, 11, from Kulgam, is peppered with pellets but it is his eyes that is causing his mother's heart to sink every time she is asked about her son’s injury.
She rushes out of the ward and cries inconsolably. "What will happen to him," she asks the visitors.
"I have been a part of many surgeries, some injuries are serious and permanent," he said.
In another ward, Mohammad Yasin, 18, is precariously close to losing eye sight in one or both eyes.
All the 75 beds in the ophthalmology ward of SMHS hospital are occupied, some with more than one patient, most of them young and restless.
The SHMS administration has vacated half of the adjoining ward that is used for medicine storage to accommodate the patients with eye injuries.
"So far 100 patients with ocular injuries have been operated. And more are coming," said another ophthalmologist.
"Some boys have permanent damage and I doubt if their vision can be revived."
"These boys from poor backgrounds would have great difficulty to adjust with this handicap. They will feel unwanted."
Many boys who received injuries in the eyes in 2010 summer unrest had to seek treatment outside Kashmir like Chennai and Indore.
Srinagar hospitals, sources said, are ill-equipped to handle emergencies of the scale being witnessed presently, especially, the eye injuries.
Doctors at SMHS hospital say the huge influx of eye injuries has overwhelmed them.
As per their prognosis, patients who have suffered partial loss of sight complain of complete vision loss after a few weeks.
Some who have managed to retain their vision in one eye should consider themselves fortunate, they added.
Although it could still create a problem and would require medical aid in the long run.
Discharging these patients owing to shortage of beds in the hospital is worsening the prospects of many like Ashraf Khan, (name changed) who have pellets lodged in their eyes.
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