Politics

Kashmiri Pandits up in arms against the constitutional lynching

By 'delisting' around 1 lakh voters, the government is committing the biggest human rights violation.

September 14, 2018

As per the recently published electoral rolls, names of at least 1 lakh displaced Kashmiri Pandit migrants have been deleted from the existing rolls.

- Civic/Panchayat polls in J&K
- Kashmiri pandits cry foul
- Names of around 1 lakh voters delisted from the electoral rolls
- Blame BJP for carrying out ‘constitutional lynching’

Displaced Kashmiri Pandit migrant community is up in arms against the ‘dirty’ machinations of BJP led central government and Governors administration in the state of Jammu and Kashmir over the issue of deleting their names from the voters list prepared for upcoming civic and Panchayat polls in the state.

“We are at the receiving end under BJP rule in the state and it is a sorry state of affair where we have been deprived of our voting rights”

At this juncture, it is not clear whether the Governor’s administration would be able to hold civic and Panchayat polls in the wake of boycott calls given by the mainstream political parties National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party. The Congress is also shying away from participating in the civic polls citing prevailing security situation.
On its part, the state government is making frequent statements saying polls are on track and going to be held as per the schedule. Civic polls are scheduled to take place between October 1-5 and Panchayat polls from November first week.

Why are Kashmiri Pandits crying foul?

As per the recently published electoral rolls, names of at least 1 lakh displaced Kashmiri Pandit migrants have been deleted from the existing rolls.

However, the same has been added in the voters’ list of different constituencies in Kashmir valley.

Kashmiri Pandits allege the decision to delist them from the existing voters’ list of civic and Panchayat polls was taken when BJP was at the helm of affairs both at the centre and in the state where it was running an alliance government with the Peoples Democratic Party.

Various Kashmiri Pandit leaders and organizations have already labelled this act as nothing less than ‘constitutional lynching‘.

“We are at the receiving end under BJP rule in the state and it is a sorry state of affair where we have been deprived of our voting rights”, said senior Kashmiri Pandit leaders representing different organizations.

This government is doing this deliberately to teach the community leaders a bitter lesson as they are opposed to their ideology and recent politics vis-a-vis handling affairs in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Kashmiri pandits leaders claimed at the time of the exodus from Kashmir valley approximately 4 lakh Kashmiri Pandits had migrated in 1990 and since then a majority of them have been living in Jammu region for last over 28 years.

Ravinder Raina, a senior Kashmiri Pandit leader recently resigned from the BJP after he smelled this conspiracy to deprive the community members of their voting rights in the municipal polls.

We voted in 2005 why not now?

In 2005 when last Municipal polls were held in the state of Jammu and Kashmir these Kashmiri Pandits had participated in the polls in large numbers.One of their candidates identified as Sheela Handoo was even elected from ward no 64 in Jammu.

At present even her own name has been deleted from the voters’ list and she is in a fix on how to deal the situation at hand.

Her sympathizers and workers claimed when we are living in Jammu for past 28 years and paying our regular how can we go to Kashmir and participate in the polls from Kashmir valley. They have demanded that the government must allow them to cast their votes on the basis of electoral rolls of 2012 or 2016 when their names existed in the list else they would be left with no other opportunity but to boycott the polls.

“This decision is taken deliberately to finish any proof of our existence. First, they dragged us out of Kashmir valley and now they do not want us to stay alive even on papers, alleged Ravinder Raina, a senior Kashmiri Pandit leader who recently resigned from the BJP after he smelled this conspiracy to deprive the community members of their voting rights in the municipal polls.

“ECI is deliberately denying us right to vote in Jammu in civic polls in October this year under a conspiracy, he alleged, calling it biggest human right violation.”

An umbrella organization of Kashmiri Pandits known as All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (ASKPC) has also criticised the central and state governments for “hardly doing anything” for Kashmiri Migrants,

ASKPC said that during previous Congress-PDP rule in 2005, they were given voting rights for Municipal polls in Jammu but now the same has been denied by the BJP government.

“The government of India (GoI) and Governor rule in J&K has done biggest dis-service and humans right violation with displaced Kashmiri migrants.

General Secretary of ASKPC, Dr T K Bhat said, “they have been denied voting rights under a conspiracy by J&K election department”.

He said the displaced Kashmiri people living across the country in different states and towns including in Delhi, Pune, Mumbai, Banglore etc., are exercising their right of franchise in civic polls, but in Jammu, their kith and kin are denied right to vote on the plea of being migrant. What type of rule is this by Election Commission of India (ECI), he asked.

“ECI is deliberately denying us right to vote in Jammu in civic polls in October this year under a conspiracy, he alleged, calling it biggest human right violation.”

Another senior leader of Panun Kashmir, a prominent organization of displaced Kashmiri Pandits, Dr Ajay Chrungoo said, it is a sinister plot against the members of the displaced community. He said we remained at the forefront of criticising policies of BJP led govt and even termed their alliance with the PDP in the state a ‘deadly embrace’. He said by ‘delisting’ around 1 lakh voters without their consent the government is committing the biggest human rights violation.

Note:
1. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.