Kashmir polls
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linkinpark
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61% turnout in J&K's 'most credible polls'
25 Dec 2008, 0410 hrs IST, Akshaya Mukul, TNN
NEW DELHI: With the seventh and last phase of the J&K assembly elections on Wednesday witnessing a turnout of 52%, the overall voting percentage stands at 61%. This is less than the 75% recorded in the 1987 polls, but significantly higher than the 43.7% turnout of 2002. Election Commission officials say this will go down as the most credible election ever in the state.
The EC's confidence is visible from the unprecedented manner in which it released comparative figures of the last election after the seventh phase. They particularly cited the last-phase turnout in Srinagar, Samba and Jammu, the three districts that went to polls on Wednesday.
"The turnout shows that political parties did not have pulse of the people. Also, militancy is on the wane," a senior EC official said. Agreeing with the widespread view that people of the state, especially in the valley, made a distinction between their fight for azadi and need for bijli-sadak-pani , the senior official said, "Once the first three phases showed high turnout, we knew there would be high voting percentage. Districts like Baramulla, Budgam, Resai and Udhampur were the real challenge. Once voters turned up there, word went around."
In Baramulla district, Sopore constituency had an 8.09% turnout last time but the turnout this time was 19.96%. In Uri, voting percentage went up to 81.58% from 66.49% in 2002. Though turnout in the eight assembly constituencies under Srinagar district was much less than in other districts, it was much higher than in 2002. From single digit turnouts in all constituencies of Srinagar last time, this election saw turnouts ranging between 11.3% and 33.6%.
Even in 11 constituencies of Jammu that went to poll on Wednesday, there has been significant improvement in voting percentage from 2002. Two highlights are turnout in Jammu East and Jammu West.
While in Jammu East, turnout this time was 60.37% from 38.67% in 2002, in Jammu West, turnout has improved to 60% from 38.69% last time. There is not a single constituency in the rest of the 20 districts that has registered less turnout than 2002.
Srinagar was the only disappointment: a mere 19% compared to the nearly 60% turnouts in other places in the Valley. But compare that to the last elections 5% in 2002 and the figure seems rosy, proving that Kashmiris in Srinagar too have defied separatists in their stronghold and come out to vote.
The fear of separatist protests and even violence was most evident in Srinagar as the city turned into a fortress with thousands of soldiers in bullet-proof jackets patrolling streets. Barricades were put up on roads and many neighbourhoods sealed off with concertina wires. Local orders also prohibited assembly of more than five people.
Despite this extraordinary security, at least 14 people including a journalist, were injured as anti-poll protesters clashed with security forces at several places in the city.
Barring Sonawar, which recorded a turnout of 34%, voting across the city was lacklustre with security forces outnumbering voters at many places. At Iqbalabad polling booth in the citys Batamaloo constituency, just 35 people out of 745 had voted till 2 pm. Parveena Begum (52) of the nearby Boatmans Colony alleged that National Conference activists had tried to stuff ballot boxes but local voters prevented them. Among those in Wednesdays fray were NC supremo and chief ministerial candidate Farooq Abdullah from Sonawar and Hazratbal and former Congress deputy CM Mangat Ram Sharma.
Srinagar has traditionally heeded the separatists' poll boycott call, but many like Zeenat Jan of Batamallo abstained "because our representatives have repeatedly betrayed us". "Why should we vote?" she asked and added that over the years MLAs have failed to deliver and provide help to the insurgency-affected people.
Voters, however, turned out in larger numbers at places like Rawalpora on the outskirts. "I voted for the area's development," Rawalpora-resident Zeenab Begum (60) said. Another voter, Sondri Begum (58) said she voted for development and bijli , sadak and pani . "We don't want to lag behind and want our representative to solve our problems like we face when it rains during summers," she said.
The mood on the other side of the Banihal Pass was far removed from Srinagar as voters turned in numbers to vote in 13 constituencies in Jammu and Samba. Between 60% and 83% balloting was recorded as voters braved icy-cold winds that swept the area.
25 Dec 2008, 0410 hrs IST, Akshaya Mukul, TNN
NEW DELHI: With the seventh and last phase of the J&K assembly elections on Wednesday witnessing a turnout of 52%, the overall voting percentage stands at 61%. This is less than the 75% recorded in the 1987 polls, but significantly higher than the 43.7% turnout of 2002. Election Commission officials say this will go down as the most credible election ever in the state.
The EC's confidence is visible from the unprecedented manner in which it released comparative figures of the last election after the seventh phase. They particularly cited the last-phase turnout in Srinagar, Samba and Jammu, the three districts that went to polls on Wednesday.
"The turnout shows that political parties did not have pulse of the people. Also, militancy is on the wane," a senior EC official said. Agreeing with the widespread view that people of the state, especially in the valley, made a distinction between their fight for azadi and need for bijli-sadak-pani , the senior official said, "Once the first three phases showed high turnout, we knew there would be high voting percentage. Districts like Baramulla, Budgam, Resai and Udhampur were the real challenge. Once voters turned up there, word went around."
In Baramulla district, Sopore constituency had an 8.09% turnout last time but the turnout this time was 19.96%. In Uri, voting percentage went up to 81.58% from 66.49% in 2002. Though turnout in the eight assembly constituencies under Srinagar district was much less than in other districts, it was much higher than in 2002. From single digit turnouts in all constituencies of Srinagar last time, this election saw turnouts ranging between 11.3% and 33.6%.
Even in 11 constituencies of Jammu that went to poll on Wednesday, there has been significant improvement in voting percentage from 2002. Two highlights are turnout in Jammu East and Jammu West.
While in Jammu East, turnout this time was 60.37% from 38.67% in 2002, in Jammu West, turnout has improved to 60% from 38.69% last time. There is not a single constituency in the rest of the 20 districts that has registered less turnout than 2002.
Srinagar was the only disappointment: a mere 19% compared to the nearly 60% turnouts in other places in the Valley. But compare that to the last elections 5% in 2002 and the figure seems rosy, proving that Kashmiris in Srinagar too have defied separatists in their stronghold and come out to vote.
The fear of separatist protests and even violence was most evident in Srinagar as the city turned into a fortress with thousands of soldiers in bullet-proof jackets patrolling streets. Barricades were put up on roads and many neighbourhoods sealed off with concertina wires. Local orders also prohibited assembly of more than five people.
Despite this extraordinary security, at least 14 people including a journalist, were injured as anti-poll protesters clashed with security forces at several places in the city.
Barring Sonawar, which recorded a turnout of 34%, voting across the city was lacklustre with security forces outnumbering voters at many places. At Iqbalabad polling booth in the citys Batamaloo constituency, just 35 people out of 745 had voted till 2 pm. Parveena Begum (52) of the nearby Boatmans Colony alleged that National Conference activists had tried to stuff ballot boxes but local voters prevented them. Among those in Wednesdays fray were NC supremo and chief ministerial candidate Farooq Abdullah from Sonawar and Hazratbal and former Congress deputy CM Mangat Ram Sharma.
Srinagar has traditionally heeded the separatists' poll boycott call, but many like Zeenat Jan of Batamallo abstained "because our representatives have repeatedly betrayed us". "Why should we vote?" she asked and added that over the years MLAs have failed to deliver and provide help to the insurgency-affected people.
Voters, however, turned out in larger numbers at places like Rawalpora on the outskirts. "I voted for the area's development," Rawalpora-resident Zeenab Begum (60) said. Another voter, Sondri Begum (58) said she voted for development and bijli , sadak and pani . "We don't want to lag behind and want our representative to solve our problems like we face when it rains during summers," she said.
The mood on the other side of the Banihal Pass was far removed from Srinagar as voters turned in numbers to vote in 13 constituencies in Jammu and Samba. Between 60% and 83% balloting was recorded as voters braved icy-cold winds that swept the area.
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After Geelani, Mirwaiz admits we got it wrong
Bashaarat Masood
Posted online: Dec 26, 2008 at 1054 hrs
Srinagar : A day after Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the hardline face of separatists in the Valley, admitted that the 62 per cent turnout in the J&K Assembly polls was something he had never thought would happen, the head of the moderate wing of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has echoed this and gone a step further.
Calling for a need to introspect and rethink, the Mirwaiz said that separatists lacked rapport with the ground.
It is all about lack of rapport, Mirwaiz told The Indian Express. All our leaders are stationed in Srinagar. (Syed Ali) Geelani sahib is from Sopore, Shabir Shah sahib is from Islamabad (Anantnag)... Then we have Bilal (Gani Lone) sahib, Professor (Abdul Gani Bhat) sahib... It is also important that they work in their respective areas. It is something Hurriyat has to rethink and concentrate on. Leaders have to take responsibility of their respective regions.
Mirwaiz, who is also the head priest of Srinagars Jamia Masjid (Grand Mosque), said it was important to understand the genuine problems of the rural Kashmir, understand the people and educate them but simultaneously blamed the government for denying them a level playing field.
We have to acknowledge that the rural people have genuine problems like pani (water) and bijli (electricity) and Hurriyat is not in a position to address them, he said.
But India is always projecting it as a substitute to solution (of Kashmir issue).
Mirwaiz admitted to Hurriyats own shortcomings and said the amalgam was ready to look within. We also need to introspect. We will sit together and rethink about our future strategy, Mirwaiz said.
But that is possible only after our leaders are released and curbs on our movement lifted.
Mirwaiz, however, said the high voter turnout in the polls did not mean a vote against Azadi. Even the people, who have voted, clearly distinguished between Azadi and electoral process, he said.
It is not a vote against Azadi or for India. It is a vote for the (resolution of) peoples day to day problems, said the Hurriyat leader.
The Hurriyat chairman sees a limited role for the Kashmir Coordination Committee (KCC) - an amalgam of separatist organisations, traders and transporters formed to spearhead the poll boycott campaign. It (Coordination Committee) is sort of a bigger alliance or a working relationship with other organisations, Mirwaiz said. It is there but the focus has to be on Hurriyat.
Mirwaiz asked people not to go for any strike on Friday. The Coordination Committee had been called a half-day strike and protests for the past eight consecutive Fridays that have been responded with curfew by the J-K Government. People need a break, he said.
Bashaarat Masood
Posted online: Dec 26, 2008 at 1054 hrs
Srinagar : A day after Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the hardline face of separatists in the Valley, admitted that the 62 per cent turnout in the J&K Assembly polls was something he had never thought would happen, the head of the moderate wing of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has echoed this and gone a step further.
Calling for a need to introspect and rethink, the Mirwaiz said that separatists lacked rapport with the ground.
It is all about lack of rapport, Mirwaiz told The Indian Express. All our leaders are stationed in Srinagar. (Syed Ali) Geelani sahib is from Sopore, Shabir Shah sahib is from Islamabad (Anantnag)... Then we have Bilal (Gani Lone) sahib, Professor (Abdul Gani Bhat) sahib... It is also important that they work in their respective areas. It is something Hurriyat has to rethink and concentrate on. Leaders have to take responsibility of their respective regions.
Mirwaiz, who is also the head priest of Srinagars Jamia Masjid (Grand Mosque), said it was important to understand the genuine problems of the rural Kashmir, understand the people and educate them but simultaneously blamed the government for denying them a level playing field.
We have to acknowledge that the rural people have genuine problems like pani (water) and bijli (electricity) and Hurriyat is not in a position to address them, he said.
But India is always projecting it as a substitute to solution (of Kashmir issue).
Mirwaiz admitted to Hurriyats own shortcomings and said the amalgam was ready to look within. We also need to introspect. We will sit together and rethink about our future strategy, Mirwaiz said.
But that is possible only after our leaders are released and curbs on our movement lifted.
Mirwaiz, however, said the high voter turnout in the polls did not mean a vote against Azadi. Even the people, who have voted, clearly distinguished between Azadi and electoral process, he said.
It is not a vote against Azadi or for India. It is a vote for the (resolution of) peoples day to day problems, said the Hurriyat leader.
The Hurriyat chairman sees a limited role for the Kashmir Coordination Committee (KCC) - an amalgam of separatist organisations, traders and transporters formed to spearhead the poll boycott campaign. It (Coordination Committee) is sort of a bigger alliance or a working relationship with other organisations, Mirwaiz said. It is there but the focus has to be on Hurriyat.
Mirwaiz asked people not to go for any strike on Friday. The Coordination Committee had been called a half-day strike and protests for the past eight consecutive Fridays that have been responded with curfew by the J-K Government. People need a break, he said.
linkinpark
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A slap on the face of Kashmiri separatists and people seeking independence.
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