Ghulam Muhammad Bhat, 65, has voted in every election since he turned 18. He went out to vote again today, along with his family members, including his two disabled daughters, in Bumdooru area of Kokernag, Anantnag district.
“I have a big reason to vote for the candidate for whom I amvoting today. I want the candidate to persuade New Delhi to resolve the Kashmirissue once and for all so that peace prevails permanently. Then I want my bothdaughters to get married. The candidate I voted for should sanction a financialassistance in my favour so that I can start my own venture and get my bothdaughters married in a dignified manner,” Bhat said.
Translating the message of his two daughters—Mehjabeen, 22,and Sumi Jan, 21, who are speech and hearing impaired, Bhat said, “Today mydaughters have voted for the first time and we all have changed sides and votedfor someone who has to speak loudly about much awaited peace in Kashmir in theParliament. So far whosoever was elected to the Parliament preferred to remainsilent over sufferings of Kashmiris.”
“It is their first vote and they should get the reward.There are many jobs for the specially-abled women and my daughters want jobs asthey deserve it the most,” he said.
Bhat said he pleaded before the polling staff to allow himto show his daughters which button to press on the electronic voting machine(EVM), but he was told that “it was unethical.”
At the polling station established at a government highschool, out of 916 votes registered, 50 were polled in one booth and in theother, out of 753 total votes, 85 were polled by 3pm.
“This time we hope our votes won’t go in vain. Our voteshould act as a morale booster for the one whom we voted for. We should see ourrepresentative speaking in the Parliament about the need of peaceful atmospherein Kashmir and also the resolution of the (Kashmir) issue,” said an elderlyman, outside the polling station. Others echoed him.
Bomdooru is the village where the young militant commanderof Hizbul Mujahideen outfit Burhan Muzafar Wani was killed on 8 July 2016.
Meanwhile, the Kamad village on the outskirts of Verinagarea in southern Anantnag district Tuesday saw long queues of voters who werejostling to cast their votes for their favourite candidates. However, the roadleading to the village witnessed clashes between security forces and youngboys, disrupting the traffic movement and the electoral exercise.
According to local residents, Kamad, some 12 kilometers fromVerinag, is home to a vast majority of nomadic population. It has been avoters’ hub for a long time, they said.
“We are voting to protect our identity and special status,”said a group of voters, standing in a long queue at a polling station.
Waiting desperately for his turn to cast his vote,Nizamudin, a local resident, said the identity of entire Jammu and Kashmir is”under threat” and “we have no reason to stay away from voting today”.
“Earlier, we had been voting for our day today issues, buttoday, it’s the vote for safeguarding the interests of Kashmir,” he said.
Kamad is located on a hillock and its residents say thepower of their vote “should echo in the Parliament”.
“Gone are the days when people of Kashmir would vote inhaste and out of their ego or hatred. Today, we are all mature and we will waitto see the result of our votes,” said another voter, who identified himself asAli Jan.
A group of women voters said “to vote is our right and wewill ensure this time that all the centrally-sponsored schemes for welfare ofwomen reach us”.
“The candidate, for whom we are voting today, has to beaccountable to us tomorrow and this time no excuses will work.”
At a polling booth here, out of 950 votes, 678 were polledtill 2pm, even as people in large numbers continued to wait for their votingturn.
As the voting was in full swing, clashes rocked Verinag areaas masked youth, in small groups, were seen hurling rocks and bricks at thesecurity forces and their vehicles.
“We have been ordered to use minimum force to disperse thestone-pelters,” a CRPF man, on poll duty at Verinag, said.