Voters remove ink mark to ‘evade punishment’

As people in this north Kashmir district thronged polling booths in large numbers on Tuesday, they seemed to have learned things the hard way. After facing the wrath of youth in Sopore following their voting in the parliamentary polls in May, the voters this time had ‘invented’
the solution beforehand: remove indelible ink mark from their fingers after casting the vote.
“In the parliamentary elections, groups of youth stopped public transport vehicles coming from Kupwara district to Sopore town and paraded passengers to identify those who had voted,” said Rashid Ahmad, who removed indelible ink mark on his finger immediately after exercising his franchise today. “I have to join back my duty in Srinagar tomorrow. If the same condition would prevail, I will be saved.”
Malik Sajad of Batergam area here also removed the ink mark from his finger. “I was one among the people who had to face the wrath of youth in Sopore in May.  Today I removed the ink mark as a safety measure,” he said, adding, “Several of my friends also removed the ink mark soon after casting their vote. Voting is our right and nobody can stop us from exercising our right.”
However, for BA final year student Shahzada Akhter of Trehgam, the ink mark is irritating. “I removed it because it was irritating,” she said.  “The candidate I voted for is my relative. I was bound to vote and at the same time I did not want to be humiliated by my friends. My friends decided not to vote. I voted under a compulsion but removed the irritating ink mark.”
Most of voters were seen removing the ink mark from their fingers soon after they came out of polling stations.
Officials said if the ink is not removed within 10 minutes, the stain typically stays for 72 to 96 hours.