22-year-old Amir takes Gowhar’s spot in SKIMS’ ICU

Zishan Amiri

Srinagar, Apr 04: Just as the 22-year-old Gowhar Ahmad Rather’s body was being taken away from the SK Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) on Tuesday evening, another bullet-hit Kangan youth Amir Hamid Lone was being brought in.
In the same SKIMS’ Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), where Gowhar succumbed to the ‘firearm injuries’ in his, Amir was lying unconscious on Wednesday, with the right half of his head completely bandaged.
“It has been more than 24 hours since Amir got admitted here. I am still not able to believe this,” said his elder brother Waseem Rather, in total shock.
“He had left for his tuition class.”
Death of Gowhar sparked protests at Kangan on Tuesday evening.
Amir, a class 12 student in Degree College Ganderbal, as per Waseem, must have “unknowingly” become a part of the protesting crowd.
“The bullet that was shot by the forces pierced his right ear; looks like he was shot from a close range. He had lost enough blood to turn unconscious,” Waseem said.
The incident took place at around 5 pm, after which Amir was rushed to a local hospital from where he was referred to SKIMS.
“He is on a ventilator. He was brought here unconscious, and he has still not opened his eyes. I don’t know what will happen,” Waseem said.
Standing beside Waseem was Amir’s cousin Mustafa, who believes that the 20-year-old must have become a “target, just like Gowhar”.
“Or who knows, maybe, he must have just become a victim of indiscriminate firing like so many have in the past,” said Mustafa.
The SKIMS’ Medical Superintendent, Dr Farooq Jan, told The Kashmir Monitor that Amir’s condition was “same as yesterday”.
“It’s a firearm injury. He is critical and has shown no signs of recovery so far. Nothing could be said as of now,” Jan said.
So far, since Sunday, five civilians have lost their lives due to government forces’ actions in Kashmir.