Srinagar, Aug 18: For participating in protests to express solidarity with her Kashmiri school mates, a 10-year-old Rajasthani girl, Reshma Khatoon, was shot in the neck by policemen on August 1 in Pampore. She is now battling for life in ward 6A of SKIMS here.
 Daughter of scrap dealer Muhammad Sikandar of Eidgah Rajasthan, Reshma is a student of a government school in Pampore.
 The little girl is too willing to talk about the happenings of the fateful day even as the plastic cover around her neck makes it difficult.
 “I was out to join protests with my classmates. My classmates told me that persons in Khaki are killing their brothers and we should protest,” she said and turned her face away wrenching in pain.
 “People shouted slogans and police fired bullets. We ran away and I received a bullet in my neck from behind,” she said.
 Reshma wants to stay in Kashmir for her whole life and wants to be a doctor to heal the wounds of Kashmiri people. “Kashmiri people are good. I don’t want to go back to Rajasthan. I want to be a doctor to treat patients here,” she said. Contrary to his daughter’s wishes, Sikandar is all set to leave Kashmir soon after Reshma recuperates from the grave injury. “I want to return to Rajasthan. I have come here for business not for bullets and stones. Kashmir police are killing their own people. How can I expect they will spare me,” frightened Sikandar said.
 Sikandar came to Kashmir 10 years ago and started his business here. He is living here with his wife, Zareena Begum, Reshma and one-month old daughter. Sikander seems dejected after his daughter’s injury.
 “Police has shattered my dreams,” he said adding that he never thought his daughter would become a target of police atrocities in Kashmir. “I have spent all my earnings on the treatment of my daughter,” he said, expecting local help.
 Two teenagers were killed and more than five wounded when police and paramilitary CRPF opened fire on protesters at Pampore on August 11.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST