A polling station established in a government higher secondary school in Dooru area of southern Anantnag district Tuesday had no long queues of voters, but it saw several elderly voters coming out from their homes, albeit in small groups, to cast their votes.
Ghulam Ahmed Shah, a local resident, said he has been votingsince the time when Mir Qasim, a native of Dooru village and a Congress leader,was the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
“My first vote was for Mir Qasim and since then I have beena committed voter. I believe that staying away from polling is no strategy. Avote has the power to bring change,” said Shah, 72.
He said due to the prevailing situation in Kashmir, voteshave either been ignored or didn’t get any attention.
“But today, I am sure our candidate will make New Delhi topay dividends for the votes we cast today,” Shah said, showing his finger withan edible ink mark.
Shah said: “I want my candidate to knock on the doors of NewDelhi about the need of addressing the political issue and other issues relatedto youth in Kashmir,” he said.
Another elderly voter, Muhammad Subhan Wani, 71, a residentof Arabal, said he has never missed to cast his vote ever since he turned 18.
“At times, we didn’t get anything out of votes, but yessometimes the reasons for which we voted were taken care of. People in Kashmirare suffering and today’s vote is to see some sort of mitigation of our painand anguish,” Wani said.
A group of elderly voters maintained that the “assault” onArticle 35A and plans to scrap Article 370 made them to vote.
“Our responsibility was to vote. Now it’s the job of ourcandidate to protect our vote by standing in defense of J&K’s specialstatus and hereditary state subject laws,” they said.
An elderly man, who was cornered outside the polling stationby a group of young boys, said: “My vote is for the resolution of (Kashmir)issue. Our candidate has to persuade New Delhi on resolving the Kashmir issue,today or tomorrow.”
Several youngsters, outside the polling station, however,termed the polls as a “futile exercise”, saying “nothing happens after voting,it’s better to stay away”.
Meanwhile, jubilant voters added colour to the pollfestivity in Ashmuqam area of southern Anantnag district, which went to pollsin the third phase of Lok Sabha elections on Tuesday.
There were no long queues, but the frequent arrival ofvoters kept a polling station here— housing three polling booths—abuzzthroughout the day. Men, women and first-time voters flocked the polling boothsto exercise their franchise.
Wearing a smile on his face, Ghulam Rasool Darzi, 70, aresident of Aishmuqam, said: “I voted for peace in Kashmir and also for jobs tomy four sons as promised to me by one of the candidates in poll fray”.
“I am hopeful that this time my vote won’t go in vain. Ihave easy access to the house of the candidate in whose favour I voted today,and tomorrow I can ask him to give the promised jobs to my sons,” he said, buthastened to add: “(But) that’s only possible when peace prevails in Kashmir. Myvote is first for peace and then for jobs for my sons, who are allwell-educated.”
In one of the two booths established in a school, 255 voteswere polled out of 824, while in another, 154 votes were cast out of 667, byearly afternoon.
A burqa-clad woman also came to vote along with her twodaughters.
“I have been moving from pillar to post for jobs to mydaughters who have completed their graduation. This time I hope my vote will atleast bring jobs for them. Today, they have also come for the first time tovote, let’s see what happens,” she said.
One of her daughters, soon after casting her vote, said ifher vote goes in vain and yields no result, “I will never vote again”.
Many enthusiastic first-time voters looked visibly annoyedas their names didn’t figure in the voters’ list.
“This is complete mismanagement. Why our names don’t figurein the list,” asked Adil Rashid, a 19-year-old youth.