The people of India-held Kashmir voted on Wednesday in the first local elections since the Indian government nullified the region’s special semi-autonomous status last year. The move by the Modi government had sparked protests across the valley, which remains a predominantly Muslim region.
Historical Context and Voter Sentiment:
Kashmir, an electorate with 8.7 million registered voters, is still suffering through the after-effects of the 2019 order dissolving its autonomy and bringing it under the direct rule of New Delhi. Ever since, the territory has been governed by a federally appointed governor; so, this regional assembly election constitutes a moment of importance for Kashmiris as a result of a decade-long gap. These elections are not only a means of policy-making but an opportunity for many to regain their democratic voice.31-year-old Navid Para was one among the early voters in Pulwama. “Now, after 10 years, we have been given permission to speak. I want my voice to be counted,” he said.
Security and Election Preparations:
The elections are conducted in three phases owing to security issues as well as issues of conducting polls in a hilly region like Kashmir. Voters braved the cold winter weather in the high ranges under the watch of nearly 500,000 Indian soldiers deployed in the region. The place has seen a conflict in which tens of thousands of civilians, fighters, and soldiers have lost their lives over 35 years, with violence continuing this year.Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the state’s electors to vote in big numbers, terming it as a way of “strengthening the festival of democracy.”
Local Issues and Political Factors: Mukhtar Ahmad Tantray, retired government officer, looked at Srinagar and said, “Our problems have piled up, and power has been handed over to the bureaucracy.”.
Unlike in the previous election, which was marred by separatist boys and girls, a large section of voters this time would most likely turn out to cast their vote. Many have come to this election to provide a solution to local issues rather than participating in the long-standing political problems of the region. “All I care about being ruled by an educated representative who will be able to solve our problems,” said 73-year-old trader Navin Kotwal from Jammu.
Ahmadullah Bhat, a local farmer from this region, expresses his wish to see his local government work to protect their interests, especially when the concern about the land being taken over is raised by federal authorities.
Elections Campaigns and Future Powers Elections campaigns have been lively and cheerful, but decisions on major policies will only be made in New Delhi. That includes security and the governor of Kashmir – an office that the Indian government can still override any legislation passed by the 90-seat assembly. Voting finally concludes on October 2; results are due six days later.
Continuous Violence and Modi’s Campaign:
Jammu is one of the regions worst-hit by violence this year and figures prominently in the elections. Campaigning there, Modi said “terrorism is on its last legs” in the region – a reference to the insurgency against Indian rule.Since the abrogation of Kashmir’s special status, the government especially cited how such changes had provided peace and economic development to the area. Well, the first step taken in this regard in 2019 was mass arrests and an extended internet and communication blackout.
Voter Views and Economic Issues: Farmer Syed Ali Choudhary of Jammu recognized that the new assembly would not have powers but felt that voting was a step forward. “Something is better than nothing,” he said.
Many Kashmiris remain unconvinced by the lack of jobs and opportunities for economic progress. Its unemployment rate stands at 18.3 percent, over double the national average, as of July. For its part, critics point to major construction and mineral-extraction contracts having been awarded to firms based outside Kashmir, further sidelining local businesses.
One of them who pointed to the economic hardship of the residents was Madiha, a jobless 27-year-old graduate: “The cost of living has gone too high, and unemployment is my biggest concern.”.
The residents of Kashmir look forward to this election being the time of return of their democratic rights as the territory is to be witnessed, for the first time in ten years, the locality’s elections amid ongoing challenges in security, politics, and economy. A verdict from this election would signify not only leadership for the government of the locality but also the Indian government claims that it has progressed on a territory over which it has had a long-standing dispute.