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| "Our names are deleted from voters' lists, this is constitutional lynching': Kashmiri Hindus | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Sept 15: Internally-displaced Kashmiri Hindus are up in arms. The reason: As per the recently published electoral rolls, names of at least 1 lakh displaced Kashmiri Hindu refugees living in Jammu since their migration in 1990 have been deleted from the existing rolls and the same have been added in the voters' lists of different constituencies in Kashmir valley.
Aggrieved Kashmiri Hindus are alleging that the decision to delete their names from the existing voters' list of civic and Panchayat polls was taken "when BJP was at the helm of affairs both at the centre and in the state where it was running an alliance government with the Peoples Democratic Party". The community leaders and organizations have termed the deletion of the names of members of their community "constitutional lynching".
"We are at the receiving end under BJP rule in the state and it is a sorry state of affair where we have been deprived of our voting rights", said many Kashmiri Hindu leaders representing different organizations on Friday. They were observing September 14 as "Martyrs Day". It was on this day in 1989 that terrorists had killed prominent Kashmiri Hindu leader Tikka Lal Taploo and this was the first political killing in Kashmir after decades.
"This government is doing this deliberately to teach the community leaders a bitter lesson as they are opposed to their ideology and recent politics vis-a-vis handling affairs in the state of Jammu and Kashmir," the enraged Kashmiri Hindu leaders said, adding that at the time of the exodus from Kashmir valley approximately 4 lakh Kashmiri Hindus had migrated in 1990 and since then a majority of them have been living in Jammu region for last over 28 years".
They say, and rightly, that "in 2005 when last Municipal polls were held in the state of Jammu and Kashmir these Kashmiri Hindus had participated in the polls in large numbers" and "one of their candidates Sheela Handoo was even elected from ward no 64 in Jammu".
A senior community leader and chairman of Panun Kashmir, frontline organization of internally-displaced Kashmiri Hindus, Ajay Chrungoo, on Friday said: "It is a sinister plot against the members of the displaced community. We remained at the forefront of criticizing policies of BJP-led government and even termed their alliance with the PDP in the state a 'deadly embrace'. By 'delisting' around 1 lakh voters without their consent, the government is committing the biggest human rights violation".
"This decision (deletion of names) is taken deliberately to finish any proof of our existence. First, they dragged us out of Kashmir valley and now they do not want us to stay alive even on papers," another Kashmiri Hindu leader on Friday said.
Yet another Kashmiri Hindu leader said: "The displaced Kashmiri people living across the country in different states and towns including in Delhi, Pune, Mumbai, Banglore etc., are exercising their right of franchise in civic polls, but in Jammu, their kith and kin are denied right to vote on the plea of being migrant" and asked "What type of rule is this by Election Commission of India (ECI)?" "ECI is deliberately denying us right to vote in Jammu in civic polls in October this year under a conspiracy. It biggest human right violation," he said. |
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