PULWAMA: About the sudden public aversion to elections in Kashmir, different interpretations are making rounds. While the political actors see a power game behind the abrupt shift in election mood, many here believe that the secret hanging of Afzal Guru, a former Kashmiri militant, and also the alleged rape and murder of Asiya and Nilofar of Shopian, have further alienated Kashmiri masses form the Indian mainstream.
Many registered voters, who did not take to the polling booths, when asked why they skip voting, cited these reasons. when People who boycotted the elections in south Kashmir cited hanging.
Asiya and her sister-in-law Nilofar were allegedly raped and murdered in Shopian district. Afzal Guru was hanged on 9 February 2013, in Tihar prison for allegedly masterminding an armed attack on Indian parliament on 13 December 2001.
Majority of polling booths were deserted in Pulwama district with election staff napping and government forces keeping close vigil on nearby localities.
I cannot forget Afzal, Asiya and Nilofar. Those who seek votes cannot bring these souls back to life. If they can’t do that I cannot vote,” said a young man whiling away outside a polling station. They are the ones who hanged Afzal Guru. We will never vote. Boycott is the only solution, he added.
In Below Durgand, a group of youths were watching voters who were returning from polling booth. While mocking them, a youth said: They are traitors. They forgot Asiya and Neelofar. They forgot Muhammad Afzal Guru.
When asked why they were boycotting elections, all of them said in a single voice: We won’t participate in sham polls. We wont betray martyrs. We want Azadi, not voting.
Apart from Gurus execution and double rape and murder of Asiya and Nilofar, those who boycotted polls, said that they were adhering to the call of pro-freedom leaders. Others referred to 2010 killings of around 130 people mostly teenagers in official firing.
In Tahab, soon after clashes in the morning, youth were regrouping outside two polling booths. There was huge deployment of paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and polices Special Operation Group (SOG). The polling booths were deserted with troopers guarding it.
The boys who were promoting boycotted were chased away by police and paramilitary personnel, triggering clashes which continued for nearly thirty minutes.
A grocer in main town Pulwama, who had not cast his vote, had other reasons for boycott. We have never seen these politicians. They did nothing for us. Why to vote? he lamented.
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