Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 17: Expressing surprise over the most low poll percentage of the Kashmiri migrants in the just held by-poll of Srinagar Lok Sabha Constituency, the former Union Minister, Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta said that one can understand the reasons for quite poor voting in the troubled Valley but it is a matter of soul searching that why the Kashmiri migrants in Jammu and other places did not show any interest in this democratic process resulting in insignificant participation of less than one thousand electors who come out to cast their right of franchise.
There are about 38000 registered migrant voters in the Srinagar Lok Sabha Constituency, only 974 are reported to have come out to cast their votes. This means the less than three percent participation. And the winning candidate, Dr. Farooq Abdullah secured just 184 migrant voters support. What a popularity, he added.
The evident major reason for disappointment is obvious that the migrants have left little interest in the public life of the pain giving Valley of Kashmir irrespective of the fact that they were the basic natives of the land which was known for being the place of Saints and Sufis. Moreover, the process of voting is said to have been cumbersome, he added.
But more than this the politicians who have been claiming to be secularists, did not find time to reach this minority lot.
On the contrary, Prof. Gupta pointed out that the pseudo secular leaders of the National Conference and their fellow travelers in the Congress use to arouse the communal sentiments of Kashmiris who formed the majority of voters. So much so they did not hesitate to approach their arch rivals in Jamat-E- Islami and the separatists dancing at the tunes of their masters operating from across the border.
He further pointed out that to woo the electors these very leaders did not hesitate in glorifying the operators of violence by describing them as fighters for the freedom of “Kashmiri Nation.”
Castigating their lofty slogans of secularism, Prof. Gupta questioned sincerity of these politicians.
Pointing out to the sad plight of the minorities in Kashmir, he recalled that minorities in the Valley formed 14% in 1947, when they took over the reins of Power. In the first Ministry led by Sheikh Mohd. Abdullah, out of the eleven ministers there were two Kashmiri Pandits viz. . Sham Lal Saraf and D.P Dhar and one Prof. Harbans Singh Azad represented Sikhs. In addition to this Shiv Narayan Fotedar was the Chairman of the Legislative Council. But now there is near cleanse of the minorities. For many years now there is hardly any MLA from the Valley to represent the minorities although these very secularists were in power for over 60 years, but for their communal approach a very highly disturbing situation has been created, he alleged and impressed upon all concerned to address the imbroglio in an effective manner.
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