Rehabilitation dominated all other demands
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Sept 18: Twenty seven percent migrants exercise their franchise in the first phase of polling for 16 Assembly segments spread over four districts of South Kashmir in Jammu while 40 per cent polling was reported in Delhi NCR on four Polling Stations and 31. 39 percent Polling was reported on one Polling Station at Udhampur district.
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Out of 34,852 migrant voters registered in Jammu district for first phase of polling 9218 exercised their franchise on 19 Polling Stations of Jammu district while 286 migrant voters out of 911 registered voters cast their vote in Udhampur district and in Delhi out of 231 voters 93 cast their vote at four Special Polling Stations.
Giving details Relief and Rehabilitation Commissioner, Dr Arvind Karwani told Excelsior that 27 percent voting of Displaced Kashmir Pandits was reported on 19 Polling Stations of Jammu while 31.39 percent was reported on one Polling Station in Udhampur.
ARO Delhi Arvind Kumar said that 40.25 percent polling was reported on four specially established Polling Stations in Delhi and NCR today. He said out of 231 registered voters 93 turned up for casting their vote.
The authorities had made elaborate arrangements for the voters on all 19 Polling Stations in Jammu and one Polling Station in Udhampur. Elaborate security arrangements were also made on polling booths which besides the CRPF personnel were also manned by J&K Police personnel.
The Relief and Rehabilitation organisation had deployed its special staff for guiding the voters and making on spot entry of supplementary voters in case their names were missing in voter lists after verifying the documents.
The agents of political parties were asked to stay outside Polling Stations for guiding the voters and their entry was strictly restricted in polling booths. The migrant voters though in less number were seen coming to their respective Polling Stations from early in the morning to cast their vote. To ensure the smooth and hassle free voting this time the authorities had deployed the staff at every Polling Station to make the entry of supplementary voters whose names were missing in voter lists.
The elderly migrant voters from Valley who had participated in many elections prior to their mass exodus from Kashmir said that they crave for their rehabilitation in their homeland Kashmir. “No Government worked in this regard sincerely” said Omkar Nath an elderly migrant from Tral, Pulwama. “Our plight has been ignored totally and only claims are made they are being provided relief for last 35 years,” he said and asked who is responsible for our mass exodus?
“Was not it the duty of the Government to ensure our security in Kashmir wherefrom we were forced to flee on gunpoint and Government watched everything helplessly”, said Nana Ji Raina another migrant who cast his vote at Anuradhapuram Higher Secondary School Barnai.
Nana Ji who sees chances of return to his homeland bleak in view of lack of will by the successive Governments, however said there is still hope on Prime Minister, Narendra Modi who has taken many out of box decisions and we hope that he has the capacity and will to settle our issue. Raina said Modi is only hope left for community and we look forward that he may take an initiative during his third term as PM in this regard.
While elderly voters were particular about the community’s rehabilitation back in Kashmir with a guarantee that it is not hounded out again from there, the younger generation especially first time voters also supported the rehabilitation demand of the community in their homeland with job avenues for the youth in private and Government sector besides restoration of their encroached land.
Spirya Bhat a student from Lokbhawan, Anantnag and a first time voter said the Government should now fulfil its promise on rehabilitation of the community in Valley. “Community is confident and it has pinned high hopes in PM Narendra Modi who has the will and capability of rehabilitating the displaced Pandits in Kashmir with honour and dignity,” she added.
Same were views of Shivi another first time voter. She said we hope that the Government will fulfil our aspirations and create conditions for the honourable and dignified rehabilitation of community in Kashmir.
Shivji Bhat over 90 year old migrant from Aushmuj Kulgam who had come for casting his vote along with his son at a Polling Station at Muthi Accounts Services Training Institute said that vote has a great power in changing the fate of any nation. “For me I want to exercise my vote in favour of that party and candidate which will bring J&K out of the turmoil and restore the total peace that will lead to the rehabilitation of my community in Kashmir”.
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