SRINAGAR: 16-year-old teenager Insha Mushtaq, who became the face of Kashmir’s 2,500-odd pellet gun victims – is on song as she has qualified her grade-10 examination.
Insha, who studied music after she lost her sight, has cleared the 10th standard board examinations conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Examinations in November last year and now hopes to study further.
“I took music as a subject and have passed that,” she told PTI on the phone.
Insha, who comes from a remote village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, is among the 43,000 students who passed the examination, the results of which were announced on Tuesday.
Asked about her plans, Insha said she wanted to study further.
“I will choose the stream for further studies after consulting my parents,” she said.
She was 14 when she was standing by a window in her house, watching the demonstrators outside a year-and-half ago after multiple pellets fired at her during a clash between stone-pelters and security forces in Shopian following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in the Valley.
The pellets ruptured the retina and optic nerve of her eyes and darkness overtook her.
ALSO READ: Completely blinded by pellet gun, 15-YO Insha takes her class 10 exams
Insha’s father Mushtaq Ahmad Lone said the result is “beyond expectation”, and they are “very happy.” “She is extremely happy and so are we,” a visibly excited Lone told News18.
“Life will never be same for her but the entire village and Kashmir wants their daughter to see her excel in studies and life,” he said, adding, “We are elated with the kind of support people have offered. The family is getting congratulatory messages and people – some of whom we have seen first time – are pouring at our house to congratulate her.”
Former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, congratulated Insha on Twitter and prayed for her success in future. “A special shout out to young Insha who was blinded by pellets during the 2016 protests & has cleared her 10th exams today. May Allah keep rewarding your hard work & efforts,” he wrote on Twitter.
A special shout out to young Insha who was blinded by pellets during the 2016 protests & has cleared her 10th exams today. May Allah keep rewarding your hard work & efforts.
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) January 9, 2018