Low turnout in Kashmir polls
Mukhtar Ahmad in Pampore
For the third consecutive day, everything in Pampore town in the southern Anantnag constituency was shut and the polling booths deserted. Though groups of youth could been seen
roaming near the polling booths, they would declare unanimously: "We will not vote even if they drag us to the booths."
The reason for the near total boycott of the Lok Sabha election that was held today in parts of Kashmir was the alleged killing in custody of a youth, Nazir
Ahmad. According to
the residents, Ahmad was picked up by the Special Task Force from the town
eight days ago and his dead body recovered three days ago, triggering off the protests.
The town, famous for producing the kesar (saffron) spice, was the stronghold of the National Conference before the advent of militancy.
At polling station No 21/B, Bashir Ahmad Wani, the presiding
officer, along with his other poll staff were enjoying cups of
hot tea and the March sunlight in the biting cold. There are 1,421 voters in Wani's polling station. "No one has come to vote," he says, "We have no work here that is why we are sitting outside the booth." In polling booth No 28 Pampore H, not a single vote was cast till 1100 hours IST out of a total of 1,400 votes.
The residents say the killing has sent shock waves among residents of the town. As local National Conference legislator Mushtaq Ahmad Kuchay stepped out of his car, groups of youth booed and shouted slogans against him.
Kuchay says "the killing was a bigger conspiracy
against his party." He acknowledges that the killing had led to resentment among the town people.
The National Conference could not hold its election rally in
the town, which was to be addressed by Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah on Thursday. Some locals were agitating as they had not been given employment despite promises made by the chief minister.
Others attributed the weak response to the boycott call given by the separatist All-Party Hurriyat Conference. The boycott call had apparently evoked a complete response, though in some areas in Pampore constituency, people were seen voting.
In Srinagar, an official spokesman said
the poll percentage till late in the afternoon in the Pampore constituency was four per cent. He said that barring
a few incidents, polling was held peacefully. The spokesman admitted that the poll percentage in some major towns of Anantnag, Barramulla,
Sopore, Tral, Pulwama, and few others was below 10 per cent.
The spokesman declared that polling was brisk in other assembly segments of the Barramulla and Anantnag Lok Sabha constituencies. He claimed that the poll percentage could well be over 35 per cent by the end of the day.
In Pattan and Palhallan villages in the Barramulla constituency, turnout was high and there were long queues outside the polling booths for people to cast their votes, though few women voters were to be seen.
Of the 797 votes in Palhallan B booth, 150 were cast in the first
hour of polling itself and scores were waiting to vote.
However, Anantnag and Bejibehara towns near Pampore were deserted in the morning and poll officials said they were "waiting for the voters to come and cast their vote." Later in the day, a few voters could seen in Bejibehara waiting to cast their votes.
The general strike called by the separatist APHC was complete across the valley. Shops were closed and vehicles were off the roads. Despite tight security arrangements made by the administration, militants struck at several places in the two constituencies, hurling grenades and blasting remote-controlled explosives. Landmines were set off at Tral, Pattan, Sopore, Sangam and Kokernag, though no one was reported hurt.
At Sarnal in Anantnag, three members of the Central Reserve Police
Force were seriously injured in a grenade attack. Thousands of troops and policemen were seen guarding the polling booths
and areas around the two constituencies.
A senior National Conference leader, while commenting on today's polling, admitted that at some places it was too low. "I think a lot of ground work was needed. Our MLAs should work with the people for mitigating their hardships," he said, adding, "Otherwise, we will have to face Pampore-like situations in the next election."
Meanwhile, UNI reports from Srinagar that while polling began on a dull note, it started picking up in Anantnag and Baramulla amid unprecedented security arrangements.
The Hurriyat Conference's call for a general strike in protest against the election paralysed life in the state. Shops and business establishments in Srinagar and some other
major towns remained closed and traffic was off the roads. Attendance in government offices in Badgam and Srinagar districts was also affected.
About 50 votes were cast in a polling station at Keran,
just 100 metres away from the Line of Control.
Ali Mohammad, aged 105, was the first to cast his vote
at Trehgam in Baramulla.
Long queues, including a good number of women, were seen outside the polling station waiting for their turn at Pattan and Sangrama.
At Sangrama, some people alleged that they were asked four days back by security forces to cast the ballots or face grave consequences. However, a majority of the voters said they had come of their own volition.
In Baramulla, queues of women voters were seen outside polling stations, while some shops and establishments were open in Pattan, Sangrama and Palhalan.
Ten per cent polling was
recorded in Anantnag during the first four hours.
The outskirts of all the major towns reported moderate polling till midday. And the officials were confident that polling will pick up as the day progresses and it became warmer.
Elections '98
Tell us what you think of this report
|