NEW DELHI: “I will never regret it. This incident will stay with me till my last breath, but I’ll always remember it positively,” said 25-year-old Irshad Shaikh, days after being discharged from hospital.Shaikh, who underwent three surgeries after sustaining multiple pellet injuries to his face, neck and upper body during the July 20 protest, said he is now out of danger.Although he had planned to return to his hometown of MP’s Jabalpur for further recovery, he has postponed the trip until doctors complete his post-operative review.“My parents want me to come home as soon as possible. They are worried about me. But for now, I have to stay in Delhi because of follow-up check-ups,” he said.Shaikh said despite the injuries he suffered, he does not regret joining the protest. “My parents have always taught me that everything happens for a good reason.”Referring to then education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, Shaikh said he felt the movement had achieved its objective.“I was the happiest when I saw the news. I felt the cause for which we had been protesting had been fulfilled. Whatever happened to me and to other students was not in vain. It is our victory,” he said.According to Shaikh, on July 20, security personnel began pushing demonstrators back after the situation turned tense. He alleged that amid the chaos, one personnel pointed a pellet gun at him and fired, leaving him with injuries to his face, eye area, neck, shoulder and chest.He was rushed to Lady Hardinge Hospital by bystanders on a scooter, where doctors performed multiple surgeries to remove pellets lodged in different parts of his body.While the physical scars remain, Shaikh said he will choose to remember the experience with resilience rather than bitterness. “I have no anger and no regrets. Life will move on, and so will I,” he said.Sahil Lochab, 19, who suffered pellet injuries to his right eye, continues to undergo treatment, his father Deepak said Monday.“Another operation is pending, but the doctors are saying the same thing — that the chances of him regaining his eyesight are less than 1%. We are just hoping for a miracle,” he said. “My son is not well… At this stage, I can only say we are focused on his treatment and praying that he recovers.”For many others, like 18-year-old journalism student Vishu, the events of July 20 have left more than bruises.“I was simply walking back when a Delhi Police officer suddenly hit me with a lathi without any provocation,” he recalled. He said that before he could even reach the protest site around noon, tear gas shells were fired.As his eyes burned and his vision blurred, he began walking away when, he alleged, four policemen started thrashing him.Delhi Police has denied students were harassed, maintaining personnel acted with restraint and used force only after protesters turned violent and resorted to stone-pelting.However, in a purported video shared on social media, Vishu is seen walking with his backpack before being slapped by cops. “I always believed police were there to protect citizens, but being beaten despite being peaceful has shaken that trust,” he said.Vishu is considering legal options. “Such incidents must be investigated fairly so no one else has to face unnecessary violence while exercising their democratic rights,” he said.Several accounts of injuries have emerged, most involving protesters aged between 18 and 26.Among them is 26-year-old Lav Kush Prajapati, who said he was following Abhijeet Dipke’s convoy when he was lathicharged, suffering fractures in his knees and ankle, besides a head injury.He says he still struggles to sleep. “I’ll remember that day till the end of my life. We were just making sure nobody indulged in violence. When a policeman thrashed me, I kept wondering, ‘Why?’”Delhi Police claimed many protesters displayed “unruly, aggressive and violent behaviour” and refused to disperse prohibitory orders.Aaheli Bhattacharjee, 20, who is recovering from injuries to her arms and legs, recalled joining other women in forming a human chain opposite women police personnel.“I remember thinking that, as a girl and a peaceful protester, nothing bad would happen. I was proven wrong… We were just asking the education system to be fixed, but police decided to respond with brutality.”
