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| Militant threats, civilian killings, attacks on polling stations fail to intimate voters | | Valley breaks 30 years' turnout record in Lok Sabha elections | |  Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, May 1: On April 13, eleven days ahead of the April 24th polling in Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency of South Kashmir, two Pakistani militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba attacked the house of the Youth National Conference leader Yawar Masoodi, the son of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court judge Justice Hasnain Masoodi at Khrew in Pampore area. Two of the Police guards were killed and their weapons looted. Minutes later, both the militants were gunned down by Army and SOG Awantipora near Andrusa village. This was the first major threat to terrorise the voters and enforce boycott to the Parliamentary elections.
On April 17, militants kidnapped People’s Democratic Party's Sarpanch Mohammad Amin Pandit from his home at Gulzarpora village near Awantipore and shot him dead.
On April 19, Hizbul Mujahideen posters appeared on walls in Tral, Awantipora, Littar and other villages and towns of Pulwama district threatening death to anybody participating in the election rallies or polling. "We are constrained to shift the offensive to our own Kashmiris get misled and who participate in the elections that are emerging as a major challenge to our freedom struggle", said that posters making clear that the war had been declared against the elections in Kashmir.
On April 21, militants armed with AK-47 rifles shot dead the village headman Mohammad Anwar Sheikh at Amlar (Dadsar) and later gunned down Congress Sarpanch Ghulam Nabi Mir and his son Firadus Ahmad Mir at their home at Batagund, Tral. It was the first implementation of the Hizbul Mujahideen threat to ensure zero-turnout in entire South Kashmir.
On April 24, when inspite of all these threats and killings 28% voters participated in the polling as against the 27% in 2009 Lok Sabha elections, militants ambushed a polling party at Nagbal, in Shopian area, killing 28-year-old polling officer and schoolteacher Zia-u-Haq on the spot. Five others were injured. Over 200 polling stations were attacked with stones and brickbats by the separatist activists.
On April 25/26, three local militants of Hizbul Mujahideen, namely Asif Wani of Drabgam, Shabir Gorsi of Kellar and Abdul Haq of Arwani, were killed in a major encounter at Karewa Manlu, Shopian, when Major Mukund Varadarajan died in the gunfight and another soldier was injured. Police and Army officers claimed that the same group of the militants had attacked the polling party and killed the schoolteacher Zia-ul-Haq at Nagbal on April 24.
On April 28, two blasts took place at National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah's rallies at Khanyar in Srinagar and Magam in Budgam district. Seventeen persons were injured in the blast at Magam where Farooq Abdullah kept the schedule of addressing a campaign rally.
On April 30, more than 25 polling stations were attacked by stone pelters when polling was being held in Srinagar constituency. A polling party was attacked at Nawakadal where a CRPF jawan's gun was snatched away. Others of the polling staff escort party opened fire in which a youth basher Ahmad Bhat died.
The turnout
Notwithstanding all these threats and killings, many of the voters in Kashmir valley demonstrated unprecedented enthusiasm towards the Parliamentary elections while defying grave threats to life and property and participating in the polling, first in South Kashmir on April 24 and later in Central Kashmir on May 30.
While as Anantnag-Pulwama recorded the voter turnout of 28%, about one percent more than it was in 2009 (27.10%). That the low voter turnout, that is highlighted as "boycott" by the Kashmiri separatists and militant groups, was the result of fear was clear by the fact that the poorest participation took place only in Pulwama district. The lowest turnout of 6.32% was in fact in Tral where four civilians and two Policemen were shot dead to spread a wave of terror.
Chief Electoral Officer Umang Narura said that the highest turnout of 37.76% was recorded in Anantnag district followed by 36.68% in Kulgam and 20.43% in Shopian.
As against 28% in 2014, the turnout was 27.10% in 2009, 15.04% in 2004 and only 14.32% in 1999. The participation increased proportionately to the improvement in the situation, restoration of peace and reduction in fear. With the beginning of the militancy, the voter turnout came down to just 5% in the valley in 1989 Lok Sabha elections.
There is no disputing the fact that but for the recent killings, 2014 would have recorded the highest ever turnout after the 1984 Lok Sabha elections. Still, it has broken the records of all the post-1984 Lok Sabha elections in Kashmir.
Like South Kashmir, the Central Kashmir electorate looked to be enthusiastic to the elections till the threats poured in through media from Pakistan-based United Jehad Council and individually from all the dreaded militant commanders. Though, the capital city of Srinagar shrunk under the fear and a section of the voters there observed boycott for their political conviction and commitment to Azadi, only 24 polling stations returned the EVMs blank out of 804 polling stations.
Umang Narula said that the aggregate turnout was 26% in Central Kashmir. He said that the turnout was a dismal 11.46% in Srinagar district but a modest 39.50% in Budgam district and the highest 45.61% in Ganderbal district. Though it was as low as 4.3% in Habbakadal segment and 5.59% in Zadibal segment, it was as high as 65% in Kangan and Chrar-e-Sharig segments where there is least militant fear.
As against 26% in 2014, the turnout in Srinagar-Budgam seat was 25.55% in 2009, 18.57% in 2004 and 11.93% in 1999. Like in South Kashmir, it was modest but broke all the voter participation records of post 1984-Lok Sabha elections. |
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