One more militant attack in Jammu on Monday has once again spotlighted the rising militancy in Jammu region. Militants opened fire on a sentry post outside the Sunjuwan army base, martyring a soldier. However, the Army subsequently denied that the soldier was killed by militants. The attack was not denied though. If anything, it shows that the renewed challenge of militancy in the region persists but thankfully it may not have the potential to disrupt the exercise.
The immediate example is the recent Lok Sabha election which not just stayed largely peaceful but a significant percentage of people also cast their vote. Jammu and Kashmir recorded the highest voter turnout in a Lok Sabha poll in the last 35 years, with the Kashmir Valley witnessing a massive 30 percent jump in poll participation compared to 2019. The combined voter turnout was 58.46 percent in Lok Sabha elections. Equally encouraging was the voter turnout of 50.86 percent at the three parliamentary seats in the Kashmir Valley — Srinagar, Baramulla, and Anantnag-Rajouri
A similar or even better turn of events is expected this time. More so, in the absence of an election boycott call. This may persuade the Valley’s large boycott constituency to also vote as a significant section of them did in parliament polls.
Although militancy has revived, more so over the past four months, it is confined to hilly areas of Jammu and concentrated in three districts of Poonch, Rajouri and Doda. This poses little threat to plains where the voting will be held. This is why the recent parliament election was one of the most peaceful ever held in the region over the past more than three decades.
But the Centre doesn’t want to take any chances: It has beefed up the security across Kashmir to ensure peaceful and incident-free elections. Nearly 300 paramilitary companies of CRPF, BSF, SSB and ITBP have been deployed in the valley to ensure that peace prevails.
Both the absence of militancy on the ground and the lack of the boycott call is likely to profoundly impact the election and consequently the outcome. It may or may not lead to an increase in voter turnout. The reason is that the poll boycott has become a default response among a significant section of people, particularly in urban areas. It is an over three decade old habit which may not go away easily.
One thing, however, is sure. For the first time since the advent of militancy in 1989, the people eagerly look forward to participating in the election. However, this approach to the exercise seems driven more by calculated pragmatism than genuine enthusiasm for the restoration of democracy. After six years of a sterile bureaucratic rule, people want an administration that shows some feeling and is accountable for its actions.
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