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| Sankalp Yatra to resume after elections: Chrungoo | | PKM disassociates from election process | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Nov 1: The second phase of the annual political pilgrimage ‘Sankalp Yatra’ which was organized Panun Kashmir Movement (PKM) and commenced from Udhampur last week, has been stopped in view of the elections and shall be resumed after the elections are over. The dates for resumption of the Yatra shall be declared in due course of time.
Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo, president PKM while addressing media persons here today said that election is an important process for the upkeep of democracy but it has been reduced to a perfunctory ritual by the authorities for the refugee Pandit community. The cumbersome and procrastinating procedure has been prescribed for being enrolled as voters and for participation in the electoral process. Though living in exile for the last two decades, they are deemed to be the ordinary residents of their erstwhile constituencies of the valley. The deceptive system of voting, which has been prescribed to the Pandit community and particularly to its younger generations by the authorities is not acceptable to the PKM, he added.
The PKM leader said that system of voting and elections is in no manner competent to facilitate election of Pandit community representatives from any of the constituencies in the valley of Kashmir. The few Pandit dominated constituencies in the valley were already gerrymandered before exodus by the powers that be, leaving no scope for the Pandit community to get its representatives elected. The premise ‘that the Muslim majority community would boycott the elections in the valley and pave way for the victory of Pandit candidate’ is rejected by the PKM. Winning an election by such a default is ultra- vires of the democratic process for which the elections are conducted, the PKM leaders added.
He said that hence such elections are meaningless and irrelevant for the Kashmiri Pandit community. We therefore, declare our disassociation from the process of elections and ask Kashmiri Pandits to follow suit. However, in context of Jammu region, if any political party supporting the demand of HOMELAND approaches PKM for elections, we shall respond appropriately in such an event.
Prof. H.L.Jalali, senior vice President and Upinder Kaul, General Secretary were also present at the press conference. |
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