Avtar Bhat
KATHUA/SAMBA, Dec 16: Though people in twin District Development Council (DDC) constituencies of Kathua and Nagri had lot of enthusiasm to cast their vote today, the spirit of hundreds of West Pak refugees was dampened who had gathered in front of various polling booths to exercise their franchise for the first time in local elections after granting citizenship rights by Modi Government last year when they could not find their names in voter lists.
This triggered strong protests in front of various polling booths by the aggrieved West Pak refugees’ including men and women who accused the election authorities of total callousness and alleged that their names were deliberately not included in the voter lists. Scores of West Pak refugees resorted to protest in front of polling booth Channgran in Kathua constituency where about 100 refugees’ names were missing in the voter lists.
Kuldeep Kumar a protesting refugee said “We were jubilant as we had come with all charm to cast our vote in the local elections of J&K after granting citizenship rights by Modi Government last year. But our all hopes dashed to ground and our spirits were dampened when we could not find the names in the voter lists”.
Tirath Ram, an old voter and also a refugee said “It was for the first time in over last 70 years that we got this right after a great struggle but it is unfortunate that the names of about 100 West Pak refuges of the village were not included in the list”. Alleging a foul play he demanded a probe into the matter and sought the intervention of Union Government in it.
Ram said “We have all documents including ration card, Domicile certificate etc and we were eagerly waiting to cast our vote today but to our dismay we could not find the names in the list which forced us to resort to agitation against the authorities”. He said “it is our ill luck that we could not take advantage of the democratic right granted to us by Modi Government” and termed it a grave lapse on the part of the State Election Commission.
Same story was of some West Pak refugees at Kali Bari Polling Station in Kathua district who too showed their anger against the authorities and termed non inclusion of their names in voter lists a total callousness on their part.
In Nagri block, which too went to polls today, same complaints were of many West Pak refugees who had to return without casting their votes after not finding their names in voter lists. Even some young local voters of Khrot in Kathua who had cast their vote in last year’s Lok Sabha election could not find their names in the voter lists this time and they too had to return without exercising their franchise with a heavy heart.
Ajay Kumar and Prabhat Singh, the two young voters said that their names were figuring in the lists which were lying with agents outside polling booths but were missing in the official voter lists with the polling booth staff.
However, there was heavy rush in front of polling booths in both the constituencies from early in the morning and long queues of the people including men and women were seen standing in front of polling booths from early morning braving chilly weather, poor visibility and dense fog. The people had started gathering even before 7 am in front of the polling booths to cast their vote as early as possible. Wearing warm clothes they were seen in long queues in front of polling stations in both the constituencies.
The enthusiasm was so much among the voters that old aged persons had also come in large numbers to cast their vote and were seen in queues. Even there was no social distancing in front of polling booths as hundreds of people were seen in queues touching each other and many voters were even without masks.
The voters in Kandi belt of Janglot , Logate and Kharot said they hope that the new representatives will solve their drinking as well irrigation water problem. They also showed concern over growing monkey menace in the area saying that their crops are being destroyed by the monkeys and now they hope that local representatives will work for a solution to this problem.
The voters in this area also demanded that there should be no red industry in populated areas and only green industry be promoted while the Red industry be taken to non populated areas.
Long queues of voters were also seen in front of various polling stations in Sumb block of Samba district which also went to polls in the seventh phase today.
Anar Devi, a 105 year old woman with the help and support of her grand son cast her vote in Sumb while a specially abled person with the help of crutches reached to the polling booth to cast his vote. He said that he came to cast the vote for development in his area.
Mostly the voters in this block said they want development including better road connectivity, electricity supply and pure drinking water, good schools and health care facilities. They expressed the hope that the newly elected DDC members will come to their expectations.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
