Sham polls again
- From: PakistanPal <pakistanpal@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:45:44 -0800 (PST)
On the occasion of the second phase of the sham elections in the
Indian-Held Kashmir (IHK), the government of India has imposed curfew
throughout the Kashmir valley. Security forces in the Kashmir have
occupied all polling stations. Hundreds of voting stations were opened
Sunday for a second stage of state elections in Kashmir as thousands
of troops provided tight security. Security was tight at all the
stations as they had been identified by security officials as "hyper-
sensitive and sensitive" locations. All major politicians have called
for a boycott of the fake elections, arguing that these polls will
strengthen India's hold over the region. The authorities in the IHK
have been continuing to keep the Chairman of All Parties Hurriyet
Conference (APHC), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and other Hurriyet leaders,
including Maulana Abbas Ansari, Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi, Fazl Haq
Qureshi and Bar President, Mian Abdul Qayoom under house arrest and
resorting to strict measures to avert any untoward incident. Police
and paramilitary personnel forced people to cast their votes.
Elections in Jammu and Kashmir elections have always remained a
controversial issue. India has never allowed true democracy to
flourish in the disputed territory. Between 1951 and 2002, Occupied
Kashmir witnessed 10 general elections, out of which only one election
of 2002 produced a regime change. The first-ever 'election' in 1951
returned 73 members out of 75 uncontested. The assembly with hardly
any representative character ratified the Jammu & Kashimir's accession
to India in February 1954, five months after Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah
was put behind bars. The 1951 poll verdict was overturned in 1953,
1962 elections' results, neutralised in 1963, were undone in 1964; the
result of the 1972 elections turned on its head in 1975 and 1977. The
mandate of the 1983 polls dishonoured in 1984 by dislodging Farooq
Abdullah government. There are chances of another bout of political
storm after polls, as the angry youth may again take to the streets
after the withdrawal of security of forces.
The chances of the Congress winning the elections seem to be slim
after the Amarnath land row that disturbed the Hindu vote bank in
Jammu region. The prospects of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are
also not rosy due to the peculiar demographic character of the state.
In the eyes of the law refusing to participate in the electoral
process is no crime. People interviewed at various polling booths were
of the opinion that they need a representative government to solve
their day-to-day problems while at the same time keeping the urge for
azadi undiluted. Holding of the sham elections in the IHK is an
attempt on the part of India to convince the world that democracy
exists in the disputed valley. Instead of learning lessons from their
past follies and taking measures to win the hearts and minds of the
Kashmiri people, the state authorities are going ahead with their
brand of democratic exercise which will not only prove counter-
productive, but result in more bloodshed in the valley.
http://www.thepost.com.pk/Arc_EditorialNews.aspx?dtlid=193681&catid=10&date=11/25/2008&fcatid=14
.
- Prev by Date: "Hindu terrorism"
- Next by Date: comment: Hindu violence —Brian Cloughley
- Previous by thread: "Hindu terrorism"
- Next by thread: comment: Hindu violence —Brian Cloughley
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
