The Srinagar Lok Sabha byelection held on Sunday was a tragedy and a farce. It seems to have been almost entirely against the wishes of the people. Only about seven per cent of voters exercised their franchise. Eight people were killed and scores of others were injured in the firing that the police and paramilitary forces resorted to in an effort to salvage the game from rampaging stone-throwers.
The Election Commission has been foolhardy enough to order a repoll in 38 booths that lie in Budgam district of the constituency, betraying the extraordinary innocence of the situation on the ground since the agitation began last July after the death of militant commander Burhan Wani. It is near certain that if the security forces get their act together, they may just be able to prevent the outbreak of violence. But it is unlikely that they can get the voters to come out of their homes.
Strangely enough, while repolling has been ordered in some areas of Srinagar constituency, the commission has postponed to May 25 the polling for byelection to the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat. If polls are indeed held on that date, it is futile to expect anywhere near-normal voting even if violence can be avoided through precautionary measures.
Polling figures, like in Srinagar, have never been so dismal except in the years of militancy in Kashmir. And if in times of nominal peace, the best that’s on offer is seven per cent, we should have the fortitude and the courage to change the definition of “peace” and “normal”.
The Election Commission deserves some blame for not timing the byelection schedule better. But the real problem lies with the PDP-BJP state government whose failures are writ large across the Kashmir Valley. As this government is bereft of political sagacity, and has rejected the idea of holding conversations with the people of the state on the question of safeguarding their autonomy arising from Article 370 of the Constitution, it has also entirely failed in delivering on security.
The security situation has been extremely fragile for almost a year and this has provided Pakistan a happy hunting ground. The so-called “nationalist” government at the Centre, which in reality calls the shots and has transformed PDP chief minister Mehbooba Mufti into a puppet, stands exposed in Kashmir for its inability to take charge of the country’s frontier regions, specially in an area in respect of which Pakistan and its accomplice China are getting more and more closely involved of late. The honourable thing for the CM would be to put in her papers and let the Centre handle the situation through governor’s rule. The Centre, in turn, should begin a new innings by engaging all stakeholders in the state.
