Indian administered Kashmir The first local elections are being held there from today (Wednesday) after the special semi-autonomous status was revoked.
According to the French news agency AFP, many people in this disputed Muslim-majority region of 8.7 million registered voters want to be the Indian Prime Minister in 2019. Narendra Modi resented the imposition of control of New Delhi by the Hindu nationalist government of
India Administered Kashmir is controlled by a federally appointed governor and the elections, the first in a decade, have been seen by many as an exercise of their democratic rights rather than practical policies.
Voters were seen standing in queues as polling began in the central city of Srinagar during the first phase of the three-phase elections. Due to security and logistical issues in the mountainous region, the voting process has been geographically distributed in phases.
Naveed Para, 31, queuing in Pulwama district near Srinagar said: ‘After 10 years we are being heard. I want my voice to be represented.’
About five lakh Indian soldiers are stationed in this region and thousands of people have lost their lives due to the ongoing insurgency here for 35 years.
Mukhtar Ahmed Tantre, 65, a retired civil servant in Srinagar, said: ‘Our problems have increased. The reins (of power). was handed over to the bureaucracy.’
Voter turnout is expected to be higher than in previous elections. Earlier elections were boycotted by separatists opposed to Indian rule demanding the independence of Kashmir or its integration into Pakistan.
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Naveen Kotwal, a 73-year-old businessman from Jammu’s Doda district, said: ‘All politics revolves around conflict. I only care that we are governed by educated representatives who can solve our problems.’
The intense pre-election campaign has seen unusually open debates, but key decisions will remain in New Delhi’s hands, including on security and the appointment of Kashmir’s governor.
New Delhi will also have the power to repeal the law passed by the 90-member assembly.
Mukhtar Ahmed Tantre said that ‘people can go and plead with their local representative. Even if they can’t do anything, they can at least point out the problems.’
The final phase of voting will take place on October 2 and the results are expected six days later.
Officially known as Jammu and Kashmir, this region is disputed and divided into two parts.
A part of it is the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley. The other is the Hindu-majority Jammu district, which is geographically divided by the mountains in the south.
The third part is the high Tibetan Ladakh bordering China, which was made a separate federal territory by the Indian government in 2019.
Some of the worst violence this year has occurred in Jammu, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi campaigned on Saturday, during which he vowed to end the violence, referring to militants fighting against Indian rule. ‘Terrorism is going to end soon.’
Modi and his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claim that changes in the region’s governance have ushered in a new era of peace and rapid economic growth in Kashmir.
After the implementation of these changes in 2019, there were mass arrests and the internet and communications were shut down for several months.
Although these are the first elections for the local assembly since 2014, voters took part in the national elections in June, when Modi won a third term in power.
Syed Ali Chaudhry, a 38-year-old farmer from Jammu district, said a locally elected government would be “a relief after so many years.” He also admitted that the powers of this assembly will be ‘far less’ than before.
However, he said that ‘something is better than nothing. When we have a local government, thousands of people will go to the secretariat every day. At that time you hardly see anyone there because people are worried.’
Many Kashmiris are upset by restrictions on civil liberties after 2019 and the BJP is only fielding candidates in minority seats, which are in Hindu-majority areas.
Critics allege that the BJP is encouraging an increase in the number of independent candidates in Muslim-majority areas to split votes.
Lack of jobs in this area is a major problem. In July, the unemployment rate was 18.3 percent, more than twice the national average, according to official data.
Small-scale manufacturing suffered after tax barriers were removed with the changed status of the territory.
Critics say the central government has awarded large contracts such as construction and mining to out-of-region companies.
Madiha, 27, an unemployed graduate, said: ‘My biggest concern is unemployment. The cost of living has gone up a lot.’
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#local #elections #Indianadministered #Kashmir #constitutional #status
2024-09-18 17:48:01
What are the implications of the first local elections in Indian Administered Kashmir following the revocation of its special status?
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Indian Administered Kashmir Holds First Local Elections After Revocation of Special Status
In a significant development, Indian Administered Kashmir is holding its first local elections today, Wednesday, after the revocation of its special semi-autonomous status in 2019. The elections, seen as an exercise of democratic rights, come after a decade-long gap and are being held in three phases due to security and logistical issues in the region.
The elections are being held amidst tight security, with over 500,000 Indian soldiers stationed in the region, which has been plagued by insurgency for over 35 years, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives. Despite the challenges, voters are enthusiastic, with many queuing up to cast their votes in the central city of Srinagar.
A New Era of Governance
The polls are being seen as a significant development in the region, which has been controlled by a federally appointed governor since the revocation of its special status. The elections have been hailed as a step towards restoring democratic governance in the region, although key decisions, including security and the appointment of the governor, will still be made by New Delhi.
High Voter Turnout Expected
Voter turnout is expected to be higher than in previous elections, with many Kashmiris eager to exercise their democratic rights. Earlier elections were boycotted by separatists opposed to Indian rule, demanding independence for Kashmir or its integration into Pakistan.
Campaign and Debates
The intense pre-election campaign has seen unusually open debates
What impact do the local elections in Indian administered Kashmir have on the political landscape of the region after the revocation of Article 370?
Historic Local Elections Underway in Indian Administered Kashmir
In a significant development, Indian administered Kashmir is witnessing its first local elections since the revocation of its special semi-autonomous status in 2019. The elections, which began on Wednesday, mark a crucial milestone in the region’s politics and are being closely watched by the international community.
The Muslim-majority region, with 8.7 million registered voters, has been governed by a federally appointed governor since the abrogation of Article 370, which granted it a degree of autonomy. The elections, spread over three phases, are seen as an exercise in democratic rights, albeit with limited powers.
Voters queued up in the central city of Srinagar, with many expressing their desire to have their voices heard after a decade-long gap in local elections. “After 10 years, we are being heard. I want my voice to be represented,” said Naveed Para, 31, from Pulwama district.
However, the region’s complex history and ongoing insurgency have cast a long shadow over the elections. The presence of approximately five lakh Indian soldiers in the region has been a contentious issue, with thousands of lives lost in the 35-year-old conflict.
Retired civil servant Mukhtar Ahmed Tantre, 65, from Srinagar, expressed his frustration, saying, “Our problems have increased. The reins (of power) were handed over to the bureaucracy.” Despite this, voter turnout is expected to be higher than in previous elections, which were often boycotted by separatists demanding independence or integration with Pakistan.
The pre-election campaign has been marked by open debates, with candidates promising to address the region’s pressing issues. However, key decisions, including security and the appointment of the governor, will remain in the hands of New Delhi.
Businessman Naveen Kotwal, 73, from Jammu’s Doda district, emphasized the need for educated representatives who can address the region’s problems, saying, “All politics revolves around conflict. I only care that we are governed by educated representatives who can solve our problems.”
The final phase of voting is scheduled to take place on October 2, with the results expected six days later. The elections will be closely watched, given the region’s sensitive geopolitics and the ongoing rivalry between India, Pakistan, and China.
Indian administered Kashmir, officially known as Jammu and Kashmir, is a disputed region divided into two parts: the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley and the Hindu-majority Jammu district. The region has witnessed some of the worst violence this year, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowing to end terrorism in the region during a recent campaign rally in Jammu.
As the people of Indian administered Kashmir exercise their democratic rights, the world watches with bated breath, hoping that this step will pave the way for a more peaceful and prosperous future for the region.
Keywords: Indian Administered Kashmir, Local Elections, Article 370, Narendra Modi, Jammu and Kashmir, Kashmir Valley, Jammu District, Ladakh, China, Pakistan, Geopolitics.
Meta Description: Historic local elections are underway in Indian administered Kashmir, marking a significant development in the region’s politics. The elections, spread over three phases, are seen as an exercise in democratic rights, albeit with limited powers.
Header Tags:
H1: Historic Local Elections Underway in Indian Administered Kashmir
H2: A Crucial Milestone in Kashmir’s Politics
H2: Voters Queue Up in Srinagar
H2: Complex History and Ongoing Insurgency
H2: Limited Powers, High Expectations
H2: A Step Towards Peace and Prosperity?
