Sheikh Saleem
Shopian, September 18:After nearly a decade of political vacuum , voters across South Kashmir turned out in large numbers, unlike in the past, to exercise their franchise , hoping to end the prolonged political vacuum that has left their “voices unheard”.
Team Kashmir Convener spoke to a number of voters who had come to vote for the first time in their lives. “Since 5 August, the entire optical scenario has changed here and we felt the importance of the regional parties, that’s why I decided to vote this time,” said Abdual Samad, 49, a resident of Bugam, Kulgam.
Residents across the four districts of South Kashmir—Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, and Anantnag—shared that the political void in the absence of a Legislative Assembly made them realize the significance of “Awami Raj” (people’s rule) and the drawbacks of “Shaksi Raj” (individual rule). They said they voted for a return to democratic governance.
Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole said Anantnag district recorded 54.17 per cent voting, Kulgam 61.7, Pulwama 46.03 and Shopian 53.64 percent.
“We had no one to listen to us for almost ten years. People were fed up with this political vacuum,” said Ghulam Rasool, a voter from Tahab, Pulwama. “The bureaucrats in charge are not connected to us or our problems. They don’t understand our issues, and the delay in getting basic things done has been unbearable. With no local representative to take up our concerns, it felt like we were voiceless.”
Tahab, once known for boycotts, witnessed brisk polling this time around. Many voters said they realized the importance of democracy during the past seven years when they had no elected representatives in the assembly to advocate for their needs.
“We had many day-to-day issues like Sadak, Pani , Bijli (roads, water, and electricity) but no one to take them up with the authorities,” said Owais Nazir, a voter from the Tresal village of Pulwama.
Nazir’s sentiment was echoed by voters across South Kashmir, many of whom said that having elected leaders was crucial for ensuring their voices are heard and their grievances are redressed. They emphasized that a person chosen by the people is duty-bound to address their concerns.
In Bijbehara, another voter, Abdul Rashid, said he cast his vote with the hope that the elected representatives will take their grievances directly to the government.
“Our electricity bills have doubled over the last few years (from Rs 700- 1600) and we have no one to raise this issue for us,” Rashid explained.
“Earlier, we could protest or meet with our local leaders to address such problems, but now we don’t even have that,” he said, adding that he voted to end this void.
“There’s a huge gap between the people and the bureaucrats,” said another voter from Shopian. “They [bureaucrats] come here for a few years, and then they’re gone. They have no stake in the place or its people, but an elected leader is from here, and they understand what we need. That’s the difference.”
Another voter acknowledged that no doubt a web of roads, bridges and fly-overs were constructed in past years that wasn’t expected earlier but despite that, “there is no alternative to democracy. We need our own people to govern us, whosoever it is”
The return of voters to the polls was particularly visible in areas like Bugam, Buchroo, Pulwama Town, Tresal, Tahab, Karimabad, Newa etc where traditionally, turnout has been low. Voters there said the absence of local governance had made them realize how much they had taken for granted in the past and boycotted the elections.
“We understand now that a leader, no matter who he is, is accountable,” said Nazir. “We can no longer take democracy lightly, and that’s why I voted today. We need someone who is answerable to us and who can address our problems.”
As voters across South Kashmir turn out in large numbers, they are hopeful that the return of local representatives will help bridge the gap between the people and the administration, ensuring that their concerns are heard and acted upon.