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| Not only Omar but security forces too deserve credit for incident free Panchayat poll | | (Behind the veil) | |
Early Times Report
Jammu,May 16 :-People in the Kashmir valley responded fully to the separatists' calls for shutdown and street protest rallies in the summer of 2010.These very people ignored the call for Panchayat election boycott during the current
summer season.What went wrong in the summer of 2010 ?What did not go wrong in the summer of 2011?
The idea is worth analysis.And the political experts cite a number of factors that have ontributed to the heavy polling in the ongoing Panchayat elections.The 70 to 82 per cent polling in the first eight phase,out of 16 phase,polling may have amazed even those that run the coalition Government.These experts talk of issues that surfaced in the smmer of 2010 and in the summeer of 2011.During the last summer the issue pertained to the human rights violations by the security forces and the killing of teenagers in the firing opened by the police and the
paramilitary forces.
In the last year's summer it was one killing leading to bigger violence and protests culminating in more killings.The call for civil protests and shutdowns were given not only by the hardliners,led by Syd Ali Shah Geelani,but by other separatists belonging to the camp of moderates.
In the current summer Panchayat elections have not been treated any issue by the separatists.No doubt Geelani called upon people to boycott the elections he did not show any determination in enforcing his boycott call.His call for poll boycott was not supported by the moderates.
If people participated in the ongoing Panchayat elections they voted in favour of candidates and not in favour of political parties.In the elections it was the pull of the contesting candidates and not of the political parties because the election is being held on a non-party basis.People knew that taking part in the Panchayat elections may not result in the settlement of the Kashmir issue.
People participated in the elections after they had come to know that he state has been losing central funds that are released to Panchayats.They were aware of the state's revenue loss when Jammu and Kashmir received Rs.52.83 crores from the centre under the award of the 12th Finance Commission against its entitlement of Rs.281 crores which it could have received had there been elected Panchayat committees.Hence people voted for upgraded village
roads,water supply and electricity.
Normally separatists calls for poll boycott have been ignored by people during the 2002 and 2008 Assembly elections.During these elections the overall
polling percentage has ranged between 24 and 55 in 2002 polls except for eight Assembly segments in the city of Srinagar where polling percentage was 11 per
cent.However,polling percentage in 2008 elections further improved.Even in eight Assembly constituencies in Srinagar city the polling percentage had increased to 22 per cent.
This indicates that there has been marked improvement in the law and order situation and in the militancy related activities and violence.No doubt the Omar Abdullah led Government will try to take the credit for heavy,fair and free polling in the ongoing Panchayat elections the bigger credit should go to the Army,paramilitary forces and the police that have been able to tame militants. Credit need to be given to people too who have started yearning for peace.
Despite winds of change blowing in Kashmir neither the Government nor the security forces need to treat the current lull as a sign of durable peace because agencies within the state and across the LOC were trying to derail the process of peace.(eom)
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