Bread-and-butter issues, restoration of statehood and the spurt in terror attacks will once take centre stage in the lead up to Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls
The chatter around politics had found its way back into Jammu and Kashmir around the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year. With the announcement of assembly elections in the UT, which has been under presidential rule since June, 2018, the excitement is now set to crescendo in the coming weeks.
People could be seen discussing politics while sipping tea at the corner stalls after a long gap during the Lok Sabha polls across the UT. Bread-and-butter issues, restoration of statehood and the spurt in terror attacks will once take centre stage.
Rameez Ahmed, 54, a government employee, says, “ECI’s announcement of holding elections is a welcome step because people, for the past nearly a decade, were not being heard by the bureaucrats.”
“With elections, we will have elected representatives, who will now listen to us. That is very important, given the concerns about the additional powers given to lieutenant-governor (L-G),” he adds, highlighting the Centre’s move to amend the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, giving more powers to the L-G.
Ahmed feels that the need for an elected government in Jammu and Kashmir was long-pending. He, however, remained positive that there was no fear among the people amid the recent spurt in terror attacks, saying, “Though the volatile security situation across Jammu is also concerning, we have adequate forces on the ground and they are capable of tackling the situation.”
“We saw huge turnout in Parliamentary elections in April. We now hope that the elected representatives would live up to the expectations of the people,” he adds.
Sardar Balvinder Singh, 64, an RTI activist says, “The situation is not that bad. Our government and security forces are capable. Terrorism has already been weeded out from Kashmir but stray incidents do take place. We can’t delay elections due to such incidents.”
Being a citizen of Jammu, Singh, however, vehemently urged the Centre to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood. “It is time that a popular government, which has a connection with the people, be given to us,” he says.
The sentiment also finds resonance in the Valley. “Though elections to the have been announced, there has been a considerable delay of five years. The main question now is the restoration of statehood,” Mohammad Ashraf Lone, a retired government employee in Srinagar, says.
He feels the scepticism with New Delhi has grown, “The legislature in absence of real powers would just be a photocopy of the Delhi assembly.” Mudasir Naqshbandi, a young practising lawyer, agrees, “If we don’t get statehood back, it’s meaningless.”
Khursheed Ahmad Bhat, a young businessman from north Kashmir, was more optimistic, saying, “Everything was snatched from us. Now, holding the assembly polls is encouraging news for the people. We are happy and will definitely vote as we want full democracy to be restored here.”
Jasim Ahmad, a tour operator from the Old City, says a local government will help reduce a lot of burden from the shoulders of people in Jammu and Kashmir, adding, “Like our representatives in Lok Sabha raised our issues in the parliament, we hope that our local elected representatives in assembly will attempt to solve our issues which have piled up for the past few years.”
Sumit Raina, 50, a Kashmiri Pandit, who had to flee Kashmir with his family during peak terrorism in the 1990s to Jammu, however, harbours apprehensions of an uptick in terror violence in the wake of ECI’s announcement.
“Security scenario has deteriorated across Jammu since June this year and ECI has announced elections. Now, we have to see how the government and forces deal with the situation,” he says, but is quick to concede that people have been living under bureaucratic rule for the past 10 years. “A popular government is always better but the security scenario is also a matter of grave concern for me,” he added.
With the killing of an army officer in Doda encounter on Wednesday, the number of security personnel killed by terrorists across Jammu has gone up to 13 this year so far.
Besides, 11 civilians including a village defence guard have also been killed in various incidents of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism across the region this year. The statistics show that the losses inflicted on security forces and civilians are higher than those of the terrorists. Forces have so far eliminated six terrorists across Jammu this year.
According to DGP RR Swain there are around 50 to 60 terrorists, who have successfully intruded into the interiors of Jammu in April-May.
