Elections in Jammu and Kashmir are gall to Pakistan. Successful elections and installation of a popular Government in the State not only belies its propaganda of separatists in Kashmir but also exposes Pakistan on international forums as well. Things have become much complicated and forbidding for Pakistan ever since it found that separatists are boycotting elections, of course on its behest, and the ground is left open to regional political parties which have the history of fighting elections and winning to form the Government for the tenure of six years. Pakistan finds it impossible to challenge the fairness of elections in Jammu and Kashmir because international media and observers are free to monitor them and report to the international fraternity. In all previous elections, international media has given honest reports about the fairness and freedom with which these elections are held. This at the same time lends credibility to the elected Government.
Whenever elections are held in the State, the separatists and secessionists have given call for boycott of the election process. Even close friends of these elements have advised them to take active part in elections, prove their popularity and credibility with the people and form the Government. They fail to realize the potential of the ballot box which alone can oust a party from power and replace it with a successful party. The separatists and their cohorts should have understood by now that the gun given to Kashmiri youth by their Pakistani handlers cannot win them any success in ousting the Government. It must also be clear to them by now that their non-participation in elections in no way alters the status of the State and that nothing untoward can happen that might bring them any consolation.
The gun is of no help to them. So are the infiltration and subversion. These are all futile activities with the simple outcome of the misled youth of the State or their handlers aboard getting killed in cold blood. As long as infiltration continues and as far as the gun wielders unleash terror inside the State, they will meet with their ultimate fate of journey to the netherworld.
This summer Pakistani Rangers and Army both have accelerated firing and shelling across not only the LoC but also the International Border. Their objective is to intimidate the population living across the border, scare them away and thus make safe the infiltration bids by the terrorists. Infiltrators resorted to digging tunnels for clandestine entry into our side. They used all devices of subversion they could. But nothing worked at the end of the day because Indian troops responded as the situation merited. Pakistani Rangers have increased hostilities along 198 kilometers international boundary from Kathua to Akhnoor and LoC in Poonch and Rajouri district of Jammu, Kupwara and other parts of Kashmir. Unprovoked firing and heavy shelling have been going on since first week of October last. Now that dates for election in the State have been announced, and EC is making all preparations for the event, there are apprehensions that Pakistani Rangers and Army will do all they can to disrupt polling in the State particularly along the LoC and IB. At many places the traditional polling booths are within the firing range of Pakistani Rangers. By opening fire on these polling booths, they would want to scare away the voters and then go about orchestrating that people did not turn up for voting and did not want to be part of the democratic process floated by the State.
Indian security forces are poised to counter firing or shelling of the Rangers or Pak army and they will deliver the adequate doze of response. But the EC is not going to take chances. It has identified 680 polling booths as vulnerable ones which might be targeted by the Pakistanis. Therefore as a safety measure, alternate sites have been identified where the booths can be shifted in case the enemy resorts to firing. The purpose is first not to expose the voters to the risk of Pakistani firing and secondly to ensure that they are able to exercise the franchise. This pre-emptive measure of the EC will neutralize Pakistan’s effort of disrupting polling and will also discourage and demoralize the separatists who usually give a call for the boycott of elections.
We do not at all hope that Pakistan will desist from any activity that would endanger the lives of our voters. Pakistan does not want our voters to enjoy the right of voting something which she denies to the people in PoK and Gilgit and Baltistan. But let the message go to Pakistan that we mean business.
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