Indian
Elections in Jammu & Kashmir
Report
3
The Tribune (Chandigarh) 6 September, 1999
5 hurt in J&K poll violence Tribune News Service
SRINAGAR, Sept 5 - Five persons received bullet injuries in Budgam, while the police lobbed tear gas shells here to quell demonstrators protesting against the polling that was held in the Srinagar parliamentary constituency today. The polling was held amid a complete bandh here in response to the APHC call, which received a partial response in other parts of the valley.
At least five villagers were injured, four of them seriously, when security
guards of the polling agents of the National Conference (NC) allegedly
opened fire on an assembly of villagers in Kandoora village of the Beerwah
area in Budgam district this morning.
Budgam district comprising five assembly segments is part of the Srinagar
parliamentary constituency. The Ladakh parliamentary constituency also
went to the poll today.
Four of those injured in the firing in Kandoora village have been identified as Ghulam Rasool Ahangar, Abdul Rahim, Farooq Ahmad Malik and Mohammad Shaban Chopan. Doctors attending on them at SMHS Hospital here said the condition of the four was critical.
Eyewitnesses said the security forces asked the villagers to assemble at one place this morning. The polling agents of the ruling NC intervened and forced the villagers to cast their votes, Bashir Ahmed, an eyewitness at the hospital said. He said the villagers objected to the "forcible way of the polling agents" in view of the militants' threats. Posters had been pasted in the village by separatists asking people to boycott the poll. "When the people refused to obey, they (PSOs of the agents) opened indiscriminate fire", Bashir Ahmad said.
The police lobbed tear gas shells in the Maisuma locality here to disperse
protesters against the election process. Scores of tear gas grenades and
shells were lobbed in the streets of the locality close to the Budshah
Chowk. Earlier, the protesters were engaged in brick-batting with the police.
They also threw stones at the police on duty in the area. The protesters
also burnt tyres of
vehicles on the main road in the locality.
There were also reports of burning of tyres in the Basant Bagh locality.
A group of youth held demonstrations and raised pro-freedom slogans outside
a polling station at Zadibal in the old city. They were chased away by
the Central Reserve
Police Force (CRPF) with the use of batons. The youth also threw stones
at the
police outside the polling station. However, about 50 voters, most
of them men, had cast their votes within first two hours of the polling.
There were also reports of bogus voting allegedly by the ruling NC people
at various places in the city. While youths were engaged in brick-batting
with the police at Maisuma-Gowkadal, at least 300 voters, more than 120
of them women, had cast their votes at polling stations of Gowkadal housed
in Girls Higher Secondary School, Kothibagh. At Khanyar only two votes
had been cast
during first three hours of polling at three polling stations having
3275 voters.
Meanwhile, the police said that a presiding officer was allegedly beaten up by an NC MLA, Mohammad Shafi Bhat, at Jawahar Nagar in the city. He was reported to have asked his agents to "capture" polling booths early today, as he addressed a public meeting here recently.
The police also confirmed the "seizure of three election vehicles of
the NC" at Zainakote by supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
candidate, Ms Mehbooba Mufti. Two of the "bogus voters" held by the police
have revealed that they were "deputed" by a senior minister in the Farooq
Abdullah government to cast votes.
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Election boycott in Srinagar rattles NC
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service
JAMMU, Sept 5 - When separatists gave a call for poll boycott in the 1996 and 1998 Lok Sabha elections it was not heeded by the voters in the three constituencies of Srinagar, Anantnag and Baramula where between 50 and 55 per cent polling was recorded in the valley.
And when the same separatist groups gave a call for poll boycott why did it evoke total response from the electorate in Srinagar constituency where the polling ended today?
The response from the people seems to have created panic among the government and ruling National Conference circles. The way Srinagar district witnessed total hartal yesterday and today and the pattern of general strike in several parts of the valley today reminded one of the pre-poll scene in 1989 when out of scare the Srinagar seat went to the National Conference without a contest and between 3 and 5 per cent polling was registered in Anantnag and Baramula constituencies.
The reason for the poll boycott in 1989 was understandable because people had buckled under militants' threat, the law and order machinery had almost collapsed and a majority of people had been assured that "azadi" was round the corner. No doubt there has been a marked step-up in militancy related violence in some parts of the valley during the past three months but the overall security scenario has not been as alarming as it was in 1989. Hence the voters, except for known militancy infested areas, had no immediate and real threat from the militants. Had it been the case or had the voters been motivated by the call for boycott given by the separatists the polling percentage in Kangan, Chrar-e-Sharif and Chadoora Assembly segments would have also been as poor as in Khanyar, Ganderbal, Amira Kadal, Habba Kadal and other segments.
What has seemingly shocked senior National Conference leaders is the poor turnout of voters in Ganderbal Assembly segment, Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah's constituency, where by 3 p.m. the polling figure was less than 5 per cent. During the pre-poll campaign the Chief Minister had attracted a very small gathering in his constituency.
Four major factors are said to be responsible for very poor turnout of voters in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency. First, the voters have demonstrated their anger against what is usually called non-performance of the state government and the Centre. The voters in 1996 and 1998 elections had nursed dreams of better days. The acute cash crunch forcing the state government to suspend work on projects related to people's welfare had resulted in annoyance with both the state and the Centre. The central government was accused of causing financial difficulties.
Secondly, the increase in the level of corruption had been a major irritant among the people. National Conference legislators were being openly blamed for having sold government jobs. The party leadership had been held responsible for nepotism.
Thirdly, the role of the special task force of the police and some of the groups of surrendered militants had resulted in a bitter taste in the month of the people. An impression had gone round that common and innocent people were not safe before the STF and the renegade militants.
Fourthly, the 60-year-old image of the National Conference stands damaged because the gap between the party leaders and the common people had been widened owing to lack of regular interaction between the rulers and the ruling class. Dr Abdullah's outright support to the BJP-led coalition government in the Centre proved to be Achilles' heel for the ruling National Conference.
Those who cite these factors responsible for the poor turnout also speak of the recent crackdown on leaders of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference who were not allowed freedom to campaign against the polling. They say personal performance and image counted among the people. The Education Minister, Mr Abdul Qayoom, and the Rural Development Minister, Mr Abdul Rahim Rather, had a good track record. That is the reason why polling percentage in several parts of Budgam district has been much higher than Srinagar district. Several high-profil ministers whom the common people avoided meeting because of their "arrogance" had to cut a sorry figure when in their assembly segments they could not organise more than 5 per cent polling.
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Is
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To view a detailed account of the killings in kashmir by Indians click here
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Want to read articles text, pictures and more info on Kashmir? Click here
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