May 04
Mourning, grief, a mother carrying her child on her shoulders,chaotic streets, flooded by tearful young men, all destined to bid farewell to their “brave hearts”- those who have picked up arms in retaliation to what the Indian Prime minister described as “Hitting touch policy”.
This discourse that shapes Kashmir’s Today has been weaved in the yesteryear’s as the space for dissent of any form has been denied space and acceptance, These crowds come out indicating that elections will not be a cake-walk on May 6 in 695 polling stations installed in Pulwama and Shopian District, amid this anger and resentment.
The killings of Friday have further cast a dark shadow on the already troubled elections. Political statement, aspirations, enthusiasm,sentiments aside, these people other than feeling neglected, feel being sidelined by constant political hierarchies,carrying these dead bodies everyday is a grim reminder of being neglected and ignored. Burying these dead is a grim reminder of the affirmation to the oath- “Nothing-but Azaadi”.
The anniversary of Slain commander Saddam Padder combined with the killing of three local militants has made the already tough elections even tougher added to which Shopain, Pulwama have seen the most number of local boys being recruited into militant groups-Adil Ahmad Dar who rammed his car into a CRPF convoy killing 49 of its men was also from here. The twin districts are witness to hundreds of funerals attended by millions of men and women, who carry the burden of these deaths within their heart.
To ensure minimization of law and order problems, more than hundred boys have been detained during nocturnal raids in various hamlets of the twin districts, many more have gone into hiding to evade arrests, the whole process has invoked fear into the minds of the local populace which is expected to confine people to indoors on the election day.
The narrative knitted through various communication channels here equivalents voting to Deceit, selling the blood of hundreds of young boys who have died at the hands of Government forces. Added to this, there is no urban-rural factor to militancy and Anti-India protests in these South Kashmir districts unlike Kulgam and Islamabad (Anantnag) where queues of voters were seen lining up to cast their votes in the rural belts of the afore mentioned districts i.e Kulgam and Islamabad (Anantnag).
Elections here,, will be a tough exercise as most of the people had not overcome the constant grief they witnessed in the past three years when they were struck with a new one-the killing of three members of their society on Friday.