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| Voting though low, it is not yet | | Victory for separatists in Kashmir | | Early Times report
Jammu, May 1- The 26 per cent polling registered in Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency cannot be construed as victory for the separatists. This is so because the polling percentage recorded on Thursday has been more than registered in 1989, 1998, 1999 and 2004 elections.
Election Commission sources said that in 1989 the Anantnag constituency registered a 4.5 per cent polling as a result of call for boycott given by militants. In 1998 Lok Sabha poll Anantnag witnessed less than 10 per cent polling, in 1999 it was 14.31 per cent and in 2004 it was 15 per cent.
Well the impact of call for poll boycott, given by the separatists, was felt more in Pulwama and Shopian districts than in Anantnag and Kulgam. It is so because Shopian and Pulwama belts have been stronghold of Jamait-e-Islami and militant groups. In recent days militants had become active in Tral area where they had gunned down one NC leader by creating scare among the people.
If the Assembly election, held in November-December 2008,recorded over 50 per cent polling in 16 Assembly segments of Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency why the voter turn out after four months declined to 26 per cent ?Two factors can be attributed to it. First the voters seem to be disillusioned with the NC-Congress coalition Government. Over the years it has been seen that people show keener interest in Assembly election than the Lok Sabha poll. Secondly, scare caused by militants affected the voter turn out and not the call given by separatists.
When senior Hurriyat Conference leader, Prof. Abdul Gani Bhat, was asked whether the voter turn out in Anantnag was a victory or defeat for the separatists he said "we do not treat it either defeat or victory for us." He said that "we should not weigh defeat or victory on the scale of election because election is non-issue for us.” He said that the in the voter turnout "nobody should claim any victory or suffer any defeat" adding that the basic issue that concerns "us is the resolution of the Kashmir issue.” He wanted the authorities in Delhi and Islamabad to be sensible and resume the process of dialogue for settling the Kashmir issue."
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