Shopian (Jammu and Kashmir): “First I wept, then I was very happy. My parents told me that candidates with normal vision don't have as much marks as I have secured”. These are the mixed feelings of 18-year-old Insha Mushtaq, who was blinded by pellets during a protest in 2016 as she soaks in the extraordinary feat of cracking the high-stakes class 12 annual examination the results of which were declared on Friday.
Insha, a resident of Sedow village in south Kashmir's Shopian district has secured 319 marks in the exam with First Division. The teenage girl's rare feat is being hailed as heroic given the challenges she faced throughout the course of her treatment after she was hit by pellets fired by the security forces on agitators on July 11, 2016, three days after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
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Despite losing her sight at a tender age, Insha never let adversity dampen her spirits or hinder her pursuit of education. Through sheer grit and determination, Insha emerged triumphant, showcasing the immense power of the human spirit. Insha said that she faced many difficulties since the tragedy but did not give up and faced all these challenges.
While recalling the eventful day of July 11, 2016, Insha said that there were protests in her village against the the security forces. I was sitting on the window of our house. As soon as I opened the window, pellets hit my eyes and I was blinded,” she said. Over her plans in her career ahead, Insha said that she first wants to complete the Bachelor's for now.
“My message for youth is to face the challenges in life come what may,” she said. As for Insha's father Mushtaq Ahmad, he said that the whole family and relatives are happy that his daughter has come with flying colors in the exam despite the adversities in her life. “We want to see her as an IAS officer,” Mushtaq said.
