Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Apr 1: If the March 8th snowfall, followed by days of downpour and another snowfall in a fortnight grounded the election activity to a complete halt, a frail sunshine and remarkable upswing in temperature in the last couple of days has failed to enliven what was presumed to be a high-voltage campaign in Kashmir valley.
Even as the local newspapers are filled with the stories, pictures and statements of this or that 'personality' joining this or that party, no significant canvassing activity is visible on the ground in any of the three Lok Sabha seats of Central, South and North Kashmir. However, the existence of banners and flags of the ruling National Conference and the opposition PDP at different places on either side of the streets in Srinagar are testimony to the claim that much of ire and hatred is not at work among the electorate vis-a-vis the mainstream political parties this time around.
According to authoritative sources, as of now there is "no specific threat" to holding of the Parliamentary elections. "The militants have not removed the elections from their hit list. They will try to strike wherever they can. Actually their maneuverability and the capacity to plan and strike has drastically reduced in the last few years. Still we have around 20 militants, including 8 foreigners in Pulwama district. Another group of 20 militants, including 6 Pakistani guerrillas, exists in Sopore-Pattan-Safapora belt. We have reviewed the threat perception and we would soon make the paramilitary deployments proportional to our fresh requirement and threat perception", said a senior Police official.
He described Palhalan, Sopore, Baramulla, Sumbal, Tral, Awantiporea and Pulwama as the towns marked as "election flashpoints" on account of their history of the last five years. According to the Police officer, no important radio or telecommunication intercept in the last two months has indicated election-related violence. In the past 24 years of insurgency, Valley has been witness to target killings and attacks on the candidates and polling stations during several elections.
"As of now, even the aspiring contestants have not approached us for Police protection. This kind of a relaxed situation is here for the first time after 1996", said another official. "But, let it be clear we can't lower the guard. We have got to be vigilant", he asserted.
The common man on the street, nonetheless, expresses certain apprehensions with regard to the overall security scenario. "It can be a lull before the storm. Who knows? Militancy has revived at least four times in last 23 years after it was each time reduced to a naught", a retired Police official said. He cautioned against framing opinion on the basis of the absence of disturbing radio intercepts alone. "Everybody knows that the militants have been using VOIP [Voice Over Internet Protocol] and now phenomenally the WhatsApp. It's an open secret that our Police and security forces have no capacity to intercept or block the most modern communications grids of VOIP and WhatsApp", he said. "Believe me, we can't access even a low-grade encrypted email". That, to an extent explains, why the much expected street enthusiasm is still absent. |
