Author: Ajay Bharti
Publication: Organiser
Date: May 31, 2009
URL: http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=293&page=23
Deletion of names from the voter's list of
Kashmir is a serious issue with wider implications.
Displaced community has a reason to believe
that the entire process is organised under a planned conspiracy. It is not
difficult to understand the fact that presence of Hindu voters drastically
reduces the blackmailing potential of Kashmiri Muslim politicians. Separatists
fear rigid enforcement of boycott call will lead to a situation whereby India
can constitutionally plug the loopholes in State's relationship with the Centre.
Strange, but true. The Election Commission
on one hand has involved a number of celebrities and NGOs to persuade voters
to participate in the festival of democracy (remember pappu doesn't vote ha
ha ads), on the other hand the same Commission is denying the right to franchisee
to the lakhs of voters of Kashmir, displaced from the land of their ancestors.
Nation was witness to unusual protests by the displaced community of Kashmiri
Hindus asking to be enrolled as voters. J&K Police lathi charged one such
protest sit-in at Muthi, Jammu and arrested several youngsters for daring
to ask for the right to vote.
The so called democratic government in J&K,
from the very beginning, has in fact been the government of the Muslim majority
of Kashmir Valley. The neo-elite that emerged after the State's accession
to India in 1947 have ensured-thanks to biased patrionage of Pt. Nehru-that
democracy is tailored to suit the Valley Muslims and is helpful in ensuring
their hold on the State apparatus. Deletion of minority Hindu votes from electoral
rolls is a part of that scheme.
Records show that in the 1996 Assembly elections,
out of 147,000 registered displaced voters, 97,000 voted, whereas in 2002
the number came down to 117,000 There are nearly 76 to 77 thousand Kashmiri
Pandit voters registered with the Sate Election Department but out of them
hardly 11,000 voted in the recently concluded Assembly elections. This was
because of the cumbersome procedure of filling up the M-form. A displaced
voter has to make 3-4 visits to electoral office before he is allowed to vote.
And this exercise has to be repeated every time when there is an election.
This futile exercise is not only cumbersome but has tremendous scope for manipulation
by the authorities.
Around 40,000 voters for example applied for
voting right by essentially filling up the dreaded M-form the during election
to the State Legislature. But authorities released the names of only 26,000
voters terming them eligible for voting. 11,000 voted. Another humiliating
aspect is that a voter after filling the despicable M-form does not know whether
his/her application has been time-honoured or not. Voter has to come to the
polling booth on voting day to see if his/her name figures or not. In other
words the voter is completely dependent on the mercy of the officials.
Displaced community has a reason to believe
that the entire process is organised under a planned conspiracy. It is not
difficult to understand the fact that presence of Hindu voters drastically
reduces the blackmailing potential of Kashmiri Muslim politicians. Separatists
fear rigid enforcement of boycott call will lead to a situation whereby India
can constitutionally plug the loopholes in State's relationship with the Centre.
The so-called mainstream politicians realise that they will not be able to
bargain hard for their share on the plea of containing separatists. Hence,
only 10 per cent of the eligible voters have been enumerated in voter's lists
while the 90 per cent of them have been denied voting rights.
Representation of community, the single largest
minority of Kashmir Valley, in the State Legislature has constantly dwindled
from 4 in 1956 to zero, yes I repeat none in 2008.
People of India have to appreciate that the
issue raised is not a simple one. It is also not a narrow, selfish and constricted
matter. It has wider implications and concerns the larger struggle going on
across the globe. The issue therefore is as important for all those who believe
in egalitarianism, pluralism, secularism and democratic setup. Denial of right
to vote in secular democratic India shall be taken as a part of the treacherous
policy of the jihadi mind-set engaged in advancing the frontiers of their
"civilisational war". And any resistance against them is the cause
of every Indian.
If you still have some doubts consider following.
Revision of electoral undertaken between November-December 2008 Assembly elections
and April 2009 Parliamentary polls, the total number of electorates across
the State has crossed 65 lakh figure and stood at 65,58,957. Number of voters
in the State during 2008 Assembly polls was 64.96 lakh.
You may ask what is unusual about that. Hold
on. According to official figures released by the State Election Department,
the number of voters across Kashmir region has gone up from 32.60 lakh to
33.21 lakh. However, the position is reverse in Jammu region where the voters
have come down from 30.84 lakh to 30.83 lakh. The decrease is despite the
fact that about 35,000 West Pakistan refugees are entitled to vote in Lok
Sabha polls but their names are deleted during Assembly elections.
I must hasten to add that rubbing this issue
under carpet by branding it as yet another gambit of BJP-RSS will be suicidal
for not only secular fundamentalists but also for the religious Muslims. Believing
Muslims will have to decide which brand of Islam do they accept as true Islam?
Is it the Islam enforced by Talibanis in Af-Pak or the Islam propagated by
Sufis and Fakirs.
Casualness demonstrated till now by the local
civil society with respect to the problems faced by the displaced Hindu community
of Kashmir will prove fatal. Media also has a lot to introspect. Mere reporting
of news will certainly not suffice. Question that needs to be asked and analysed
is how long institutions will fail the displaced community. Situation in Pakistan
is an eye opener. Uncaring silence will haunt all those who avoid confronting
the truth at present.
Just for the sake of information let me write
that the displaced community has been forced to come out on streets. It was
only after all other options ran out of steam that community decided to fight
it out in open. The community has been approaching Election Commission constantly
from 1996 onwards, the year elections were first held in the State after the
forced displacement. Election Commission even after agreeing to their concerns
and promising to reform the process has practically done nothing to that effect.
Their community is a resource poor community.
They don't have representatives in elected fora. Political parties find their
issue as burden since they don't fetch votes in the same measure as is the
case with issues related to other communities. National interest is best confined
to books and discussions in market driven TV studios.
Elimination of Hindu minority physically from
the territory and erasing them completely out of the civilisational memory
and ethos of Kashmir is the beginning of a larger scheme.
Shivalai ab jo rotey hai
Himalay kab ke roaiey hai
Community, as a result of persistent efforts
by the team led by Dr. KN Pandita, has not only succeeded in registering the
subject with the concerned authorities but in the process has actually realised
the importance of registered voters in the electoral rolls of the place of
their origin. And that is the first critical step towards achieving the desired
objective.
Not long ago the scene was totally different.
It was very difficult to talk about participation in the democratic process.
Any person daring to do so was ridiculed. The method was blemished as surrender
of community interests. Only courageous few continued to impress upon the
community members to understand the long term folly of ignoring democratic
setup of the country. It is welcome to see the changed response of the community,
both from the point of view of the individuals as well as organisations.
But let us understand the real challenge lies
in future. There is no doubt about the fact that Election Commission will
arrange their enrollment sooner than they think. Will that solve the problem?
Difficulty is that the Commission will register
only those who ask for the same. Registration will require certain steps on
their behalf. EC will have to step in later. So how many of them are willing
to register and how many will actually take the required trouble?
Dr KN Pandita Chairman JKNM, "has appealed
to all the parties, organisations, nationalists and civil society to support
the displaced community in its struggle for their constitutional rights. It
also urged the Kashmiri Pandits to support the struggle launched by JKNM."
How can we support JKNM? Are we actually helping
JKNM or our own selves?
The best way I comprehend to do so is enrolling
as many voters as are eligible. Let no one remain unregistered. Just have
a look on the voter's lines in polling booths of Kashmir. Children of 13-14
years age are casting votes. Their faces are clear indicators of their age.
Yet they are registered as voters. It is one of the ways in which Kashmiri
Muslims have ensured that number of voters in Valley to get pushed ahead of
Jammu region.
Following revision undertaken between November-December
2008 Assembly elections and April 2009 Parliamentary polls, it must be remembered,
the total number of electorates across the State has crossed 65 lakh figure
and stood at 65,58,957. Number of voters in the State during 2008 Assembly
polls was 64.96 lakh.
The number moved up from 32.60 lakh voters
in Kashmir region, to 33.21 lakh. However, in Jammu region the number of voters
came down from 30.84 lakh in Assembly elections to 30.83 lakh. The decrease
is despite the fact that about 35,000 West Pakistan refugees are entitled
to vote in Lok Sabha polls but their names are deleted during Assembly elections.
Vitality of the issue is noticeable. Democracy
and the institutions of democratic polity have become weaponry to achieve
the monolithic objectives of Islamic forces. We have somehow ignored their
importance in a mistaken belief of the justness of our cause. The change,
therefore, is refreshing.
So let us be prepared to do some ground work.
Let us in first step ensure registration of our own families. Subsequently
resolve to persuade one family a month to re-register their names in Kashmir
voter list.
By 2011, the year most analysts believe to
witness another general election, let there be 3 lakh KP voters in Kashmir
Valley constituencies. I am taking conservative estimates of only 50 per cent
of 7 lakh population we believe we are.
The ratio of voters to population in our State
is more than 65%. The 50 per cent target is achievable. Registration is going
to be a continuous process.
Let all of us try our best to achieve the
goal.