A number of firearms have been used to disperse/control violent mobs in Kashmir over thelast 20 years. These include conventional bullets, rubber bullets and tear gas shells. PelletFirearms have been introduced as the latest modality for crowd control, assumed to have lower morbidity. The security forces have used it since 2010 to quell the street protests in Kashmir. While the government projects the pellet gun as a Non-Lethal Weapon (NLW) but at least three persons have died while hundreds have been injured. In this context, this study is an attempt to understand theimpact of pellets on the pellet-injured youth of Kashmir. The paper also puts forththe suggestions and recommendations aimed at revisiting the use of pellet guns. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were used to collect the information from the participants.
Pellet, Youth, Conflict, Kashmir, and Impact
