For a long time, voting has neither been a matter of pride for the people of Kashmir Valley nor a right that they can exercise without any danger. But the morning of 18 September brought a new hope, a new era, a new message for the residents of South Kashmir. They were exercising their right with enthusiasm. Obviously everyone was excited.
Shruti Vyas from Srinagar
For 83-year-old Abdul Rehman, this opportunity came after 40 years and for 23-year-old Mohzam, it was the first time in his life. Most people got a chance to exercise their franchise without fear for the first time since 1987.
I travelled from Pulwama to Shopian and Kulgam to Anantnag. The air was fresh and cool. As far as the eye could see, there were lovely apple orchards. From narrow broken roads to narrow lanes, people were enjoying the voting day to the fullest without any fear. The roads were not deserted as usual. There was noise, bustle and movement of people. There was no panic in the air, people were not silent and as if to welcome the freedom they had achieved, they had kept the doors and windows of their houses open. By nine in the morning, I had met many shopkeepers, farmers, young boys and girls and housewives who were showing off the ink on their fingers without any hesitation and with pride.
Shaheen was on election duty in Bugam, Kulgam. But she cast her vote before starting her work. “I cast my vote at 7.15,” she told me. There was joy and excitement in her voice. And a sparkle in her eyes.
And I saw this sparkle in the eyes of all the voters who were waiting in line outside the polling booths for their turn. Full of excitement and hope, they were going in one by one without any fear or anxiety and coming out happily and proudly after getting their fingers inked. They were talking openly. They were expressing their opinions without any hesitation. They were proud that they had fulfilled their duty.
Be it old or young, candidates or security personnel, journalists or officers, I heard the same thing from everyone: “Today’s atmosphere is like Eid.”
I was accompanied by a local journalist who was of my age. He told me, “I have never seen an atmosphere like this before.” He had never seen the festivities of elections – so common to you and me. He and his peers had no idea what elections were like. They had never accompanied their parents to the polling booth. They had never experienced the thrill of getting indelible ink on their finger. On the day of voting, their homes became cages, stepping out of which was inviting danger.
Elections were synonymous with terror for them. This fear was there in 2014 as well as in 2019. It was as if the sun did not rise on the day of voting. There was an atmosphere of fear and apprehension all around. Amidst appeals to boycott the elections, strikes and public curfew, they thought it better to remain confined in their homes. The roads and polling centres remained sad and deserted.
But this year everything has changed. Be it Shia or Sunni or Gujjar Bakarwal, old or young, women or men, all were eager to mark their presence in the biggest festival of democracy. The youth were eager to break their silence and the elderly were hoping for a change. For women, change meant development. The youth felt that their representatives should be young like them. For 35-year-old Mukhtar of Kulgam, Syed Reshi of Jamaat was the harbinger of change, while for 23-year-old Mohzam of Pulwama, PDP’s Waheed Para was a ray of hope.
The desire for change is so strong that after decades, it is the candidates who are scared rather than the voters in the valley. In Bijbahara in Anantnag, the stronghold of the Mufti family, the contest is tough. Here people have to choose between 36-year-old Iltija Mufti of the PDP and Dr. Bashir Ahmed Veeri of the National Conference. And the BJP candidate is a noose around the neck for both. The same is the case with Kulgam Assembly constituency, an important seat in South Kashmir. This has been the impenetrable fort of Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He has been winning from here for nearly thirty years. But this time he is in danger due to the entry of Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Sayyar Ahmed Reshi in the fray. By 11 am, 26 percent votes had been cast in this area and there was a crowd at the polling booths.
Who could have imagined that this day would come. I belong to that generation which has heard and read that elections in Kashmir are just a formality. In such a situation, it was really heartening to see that people are participating enthusiastically in the celebration of democracy.
One more thing. Security was not as tight as I had expected. Voting centres were not turned into fortresses and there were no barricades on the inner roads. Cars were not being stopped for checking. It seemed like everything was normal. Could anything have been better? (Copy: Amrish Hardenia)