In the high voter turnout in J&K polls, a hope for peace

Democracy has aced its first test in the Union territory (UT) of Jammu & Kashmir where elections are being held for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370. The 24 highly sensitive assembly seats that voted in the first phase of assembly elections saw a turnout of 61.11% overall — the highest in 35 years. Let’s hope this trend continues in the coming two phases as well.

Meanwhile, how should we view this massive voter turnout in the first phase? Is terror finally bidding adieu to the violence-ravaged land? Are the people of Jammu & Kashmir ready to march in tune with the rest of the country? Will these elections herald an end to the “gun culture”? The past seven decades have taught us that any haste in jumping to conclusions about the Kashmir Valley is a recipe for disaster. The political developments there ahead of the elections bear testimony to that.
Omar Abdullah, the leader of the National Conference (NC), had until recently insisted that he would not be contesting the assembly elections as his participation would be seen as a sign of his approval of the Centre’s action to remove the statehood of Jammu & Kashmir and to divide it into two UTs. However, today he’s contesting from two seats. Those who understand politics know that Omar has no choice but to participate in the elections. Had he not contested, he wouldn’t have been able to canvass for other NC candidates.
The flip-flops don’t stop here. Earlier, the NC insisted that it wouldn’t make Article 370 a poll issue. The stand was aimed at securing an alliance with the Congress party. As a national party, Congress was reluctant to be cornered by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the national stage for indulging in appeasement politics. Omar now has gone back on his stand and now wants full statehood for Jammu & Kashmir and the restoration of Article 370. This has left the Congress in a quandary.
The actions and comments of another contestant, Engineer Rashid, who has emerged as a significant political force in the Valley since he defeated Omar Abdullah at the general elections, are also of interest. Rashid, who contested the general elections while he was imprisoned at the Tihar jail, organised a rally in his constituency following his release. The crowds present at the late-night gathering surprised all. People are now asking if Rashid can cause a major upset in the coming polls.
Rashid is doing whatever he can to upset the apple cart and has ended up on the firing line of every party. Omar has questioned how Rashid got bail if he had been taken into custody under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Questions are being raised as to how such a huge crowd was allowed to congregate in Baramulla district. Almost everywhere in the Valley, barricades are put up and movement is restricted at dusk. Rashid’s poll relationship with the Jamaat-e-Islami is also creating political ripples. His political opponents think he will help independents win along with his candidates. In case a need arises, these independent candidates can go “any which way”, which is a euphemism for joining the BJP.
Rashid should clear the air, but he is deliberately vague and talking in riddles. Like his senior counterparts, he has become an expert at sowing the seeds of confusion. Other gladiators in the electoral fray are toeing the same line. This tendency is responsible for the present misery in Kashmir.
The tendency to remain vague has affected social workers and journalists, too. I have met many such people who are accustomed to saying one thing in Delhi, another in Jammu, and something completely different in Srinagar. Constant duplicity has forced the local populace to practise double standards.
The UT has a large number of people who support separatist ideas in local gatherings, and as night falls, they turn informers for intelligence units and security forces. For them, terrorists and gun-wielding security personnel are the same.
We shouldn’t be surprised if people are sceptical of the success of the next assembly in such a scenario. But if that be the case, why did so many people turn up to vote even in those areas badly affected by terror if they were so cynical? Notwithstanding what the leaders say, it’s clear that the local population is fed up with terror. They aren’t seduced by separatism anymore but are attracted to development. Hopes of peace and progress have taken root amid adversities.
We will have to strengthen this hope.
Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. The views expressed are personal