Kashmir polls

[Halaku Khan]

With 74% turnout, no place for separatists in Gurez

Riyaz Wani
Indian Express Posted online: November 18, 2008 at 0923



Far from the raucous political environment of the Valley, behind the mighty Himalayas, election day in Gurez passed with a methodical calm. While an undeclared curfew locked down the Kashmir Valley and the politics of boycott hung over the turnout in its other two constituencies at Bandipore and Sonawari, polling day in Gurez closed with 74 per cent of voters exercising their franchise, the highest in ten constituencies that went to polls in the state.

Close to the Line of Control, Gurez is home to 15,330 voters deciding the fate of six candidates. The NC’s Nazir Ahmad Khan, who won in 2002, now faces a challenge from the Congress’s Faqir Muhammad Khan followed by PDP’s Nazir Ahmad Bhat.

But what sets Gurez apart from the rest of the Valley is the absence of the azadi debate, even though locals are extremely conscious of their political affiliations. And what is more, the Army for them is a benign presence vital for their survival. “In winter, when snow cuts us off from the world, the Army takes over and becomes a major source of our livelihood,” says the numberdar of Niru, Sarwar Mir.

But Gurez’s real significance lies in its distance from the turbulence of Kashmir’s politics. Here, they like to keep it simple. “Our only demand from the contestants is to help solve our problems,” says Zainullah from Dawar. “We have urgent bread-and butter-issues. Our villages get little electricity and there is hardly any clean drinking water”.

However, while people espouse democracy as a remedy to their problems, the ground reality — from the rundown roads to the decrepit government school — is not so rosy.

And despite the ceasefire across the LoC, the fear of shells from across the nearby hills hasn’t abated. In fact, in 2006 a shell from Pakistan landed outside the school, killing two. “Truce has helped us a lot. Our wish is that it lasts,” says Sajad Hussain from Dawar. The Army, he says, now hires more porters to carry supplies to the mountain tops. “Peace opens a lifeline for us.”

 

[Zaheerkhan]

Kashmiris ignore poll boycott call

Srinagar/Leh, November 17: Braving freezing temperatures and ignoring separatists' boycott call, Voters came out in large numbers in some towns with an average 55 per cent turnout recorded in the first phase of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir held amid unprecedented security.

The turnout was moderate to heavy and voting passed off peacefully except for stray incidents of violence and protests amid threats of militants disrupting the polls which was held in a curfew-like situation in 10 constituencies spread over four districts of Bandipora, Poonch, Leh and Kargil. Polling in the border state has been staggered over seven phases lasting up to December 24.

Around 55 per cent polling was registered in the 10 constituencies, Chief electoral officer B R Sharma told reporters in Srinagar.

Sharma said Gurez constituency in the once terrorist-infested Bandipora district recorded the highest voting-- 74 per cent-- followed by Mendhar (65), Poonch (64), Surankote (58), Kargil (57), Nobra (55), Leh (53), Zanskar (48) and Bandipora and Sonawari (42 each).

Srinagar, Bandipora and other towns were almost totally locked down, as thousands of troops were out in force to prevent anti-election rallies. An estimated six lakh voters were eligible to vote in the first phase.

At least seven persons including a woman were injured as police fired a few teargas shells and used batons to disperse people protesting against holding of assembly elections in Bandipora district, official sources said.

Source:express India.


The high voter turnout in the first phase of the seven-stage polling in Jammu and Kashmir is a positive indication for a better future and a stable state, National Conference president Omar Abdullah said Monday.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Protests fade as Kashmir vote begins​

By Damian Grammaticas
BBC News, Bandipora


There was an eerie dawn to election day in Kashmir.

Streets and roads were empty, villages deserted. A blanket of mist hung over the Kashmir valley, the Himalayan peaks just shadows in the distance.

As we drove the two hours from Srinagar to the constituency of Bandipora we saw barely a soul. Except, that is, for soldiers. They were everywhere.

Thousands and thousands of them, armed men stationed every few hundred metres along the road, at every junction, on patrol or on guard in empty villages.

The combination of separatist leaders calling for a boycott of the poll and the massive security put in place by India meant Kashmiris were reluctant to venture outside their homes.

'Digging our graves'

People did emerge, but slowly. At a polling station in Bandipora just three people cast ballots in the first half hour of voting.

Then more and more began to turn up, jostling in queues, women in burkhas, men wearing long woollen cloaks to protect themselves against the cold.

One of those defying the boycott was Usman Majid. He is a former militant who used to fight India but is now standing as a candidate in the polls it is organising.

He was elected to represent Bandipora in Kashmir's assembly in 2002 and he is hoping to be re-elected this year.

"I realised we are just digging graves for ourselves," he said, explaining his decision to give up the bullet in favour of the ballot box.

"I realised nothing is going to change, everything will remain the same, only death and destruction is taking place. So I decided let me fight for the genuine cause of the people."

But the leaders of Kashmir's separatist parties, who want independence from India, see it differently.

They dismiss any idea of taking part in a vote organised by India, saying a fair election cannot be held with such a huge military presence. A vote for a state assembly is no substitute for a referendum on independence, they say.

The problem for the main separatist figures was that they had all been detained, jailed or put under house arrest to prevent them leading demonstrations against the election.

So, leaderless, the protests against the first day of voting all fizzled out fast.

Obama plea

At the first sign of trouble in the centre of Bandipora, the Indian soldiers moved in quickly.

Just a few women had gathered shouting "Azadi": freedom. The troops ran towards them wielding sticks, they lashed out at a couple of women and then tried to herd them down a side street.

Seconds later, from some houses nearby, came a volley of stones thrown at the soldiers. The troops retreated helter-skelter to get away from the flying rocks. Then they responded with teargas.

Some Indian soldiers dashed down an alley and came back dragging a young man with them. He was punched a couple of times, bundled into the back of a police van, and with that the opposition to the vote was snuffed out.

"See what they are doing here," said a Kashmiri man angrily pointing at the soldiers. "There is no election here."

One of the few pro-independence leaders not under arrest ahead of the election was Miyan Qayoom.

He said the separatists were calling on US President-elect Barack Obama to help, they had written to him asking him to come to their aid.

"We have told him he should come forward, help us in this hour of crisis and play his role," he said. "As the superpower of the world America has a duty towards the people of Kashmir."

But at the polling stations as the afternoon drew on the lines of voters grew longer. The lack of major protests, it seemed, had encouraged more Kashmiris to cast their ballots.

By the end of the day the turnout was fairly respectable, at just over 50% in the Kashmir valley.

The election is being held in stages over six weeks. That is so the security forces can be rotated around the different constituencies.

A final judgement on the credibility of the process and India's handling of it will have to wait until the last votes are counted.

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Protests fade as Kashmir vote begins

 

[dabong1]

With all the leaders of kashmir in jail or under house arrest ,you cant really call the elections fair.

 

[Flintlock]

50+ percent is pretty damned good, considering the scale of the protests preceding the polls.

 

[dabong1]

50+ percent is pretty damned good, considering the scale of the protests preceding the polls.

How would you feel if the prominent politicians of india where put under house arrest or thrown in jail during the indian elections?......would they be classed as fair if 50%+ turnout achieved.

 

[Flintlock]

How would you feel if the prominent politicians of india where put under house arrest or thrown in jail during the indian elections?......would they be classed as fair if 50%+ turnout achieved.

Well, these "prominent politicians" are free to contest the polls.
Unfortunately, they are doing the exact opposite and attempting to disrupt the polls, which is a criminal offense. Naturally, they are in Jail.

As far as I can see the polls are as fair is possible considering the circumstances. The heavy military presence is undesirable, but it is obviously necessary.

50% of the electorate seems to have decided that the polls are fair enough for them.

 

[Vinod2070]

None of the politicians have been jailed. All those who wanted to contest were free to contest.

It is the duty of the security forces to maintain law and order and make any preventive arrests of the lumpens who are a threat to the peace and who will be only a nuisance during the elections.

 

[dabong1]

Well, these "prominent politicians" are free to contest the polls.

Unfortunately, they are doing the exact opposite and attempting to disrupt the polls, which is a criminal offense. Naturally, they are in Jail. .

Calling for a boycott of the elections is a far cry from attacking polling stations with bombs and guns.......or is it against indian/international law to call for a boycott of elections?

 

[Vinod2070]

Detaining people who are likely to cause election disruptions is a fairly routine exercise.

Its just a law and order issue and a minor one at that.

 

[daredevil]

Calling for a boycott of the elections is a far cry from attacking polling stations with bombs and guns.......or is it against indian/international law to call for a boycott of elections?

Given a chance, these separatist leaders will gather enough mobs to create trouble. Boycotting an election is an individual decision, asking somebody else to boycott the election is indeed against the law.

 

[dabong1]

None of the politicians have been jailed. All those who wanted to contest were free to contest.

It is the duty of the security forces to maintain law and order and make any preventive arrests of the lumpens who are a threat to the peace and who will be only a nuisance during the elections.

In many Muslim-dominated areas, however, turnout was so low that paramilitary soldiers and police outnumbered voters.

And in some towns, police and protesters against the polls clashed.

The elections are being held in seven phases until December 24 in a staggered process that allows the government to deploy thousands of security forces in each area in an attempt to prevent a repeat of violence during elections in 2002 in which dozens died.

Police said they feared more unrest, particularly from separatist groups, although separatists have vowed not to use violence to enforce the boycott and campaigning was mostly peaceful.

The protests prompted a crackdown on separatist leaders who oppose the polls.

More than 30 people who called for a boycott have been detained in recent days under legislation that allows police to hold people for up to two years without trial.

The detainees were held for advocating "secession, breach of the peace and intimidating people not to vote".

B Srinivas, a senior police official, said the police "will not allow anybody to campaign against the elections".

But Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a key separatist leader who has been under house arrest for three days, said "you can't have free and fair elections in the presence of hundreds of thousands of occupying forces".

Al Jazeera English - CENTRAL/S. ASIA - Kashmiris vote despite boycott call

 

[daredevil]

Finally, people of kashmir decided to use ballots instead of bullets.

 

[Flintlock]

Calling for a boycott of the elections is a far cry from attacking polling stations with bombs and guns.......or is it against indian/international law to call for a boycott of elections?

They had plenty of time before the polls to organize protest rallies. Now its up to the people to decide whether they want to boycott.

Now that the polls are underway, people need a safe and peaceful environment to cast their votes. We cannot have stone-throwing mobs blocking the streets and disrupting those who choose to vote.

 

[dabong1]

Given a chance, these separatist leaders will gather enough mobs to create trouble. Boycotting an election is an individual decision, asking somebody else to boycott the election is indeed against the law.

Calling for a boycott and forcing somebody not to vote are seperate issues.