[Reader-list] 55% - and ever onward!

[S. Jabbar]

Gurez is one of those areas in Kashmir that defies conventional thinking on
Kashmir that assumes a Muslim majority area is disgruntled & has
links/sympathies with pro-independence or pro-Pakistani factions of the
separatist movement.

I've been there twice and found it extremely interesting.  Though part of
Bandipora district it is cut off from it and the rest of the Valley because
its only link, the Razdan Pass is snow-bound for 7-8 months of the year.  It
has a tiny population of Shina-speaking tribals who are not ethnically
Kashmiri. In fact, like Gujjars, these tribals have been historically
discriminated against by Kashmiris. Many of these tribals, though Muslim,
fled from the invading Pakistani troops in 1947 and settled in areas like
Gurez & Tilel.  

Like many other areas along the LoC, Gurez has had a large military presence
since 1947.  While we are free to imagine the pressures of living under a
troop-civilian ratio of 4:1, it's also important to acknowledge that the
relationship with the army is a complex one as it is the only source of
livelihood and succor in this very remote region.


> From: Sanjay Kak <kaksanjay at gmail.com>
> Date: Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:17:42 +0530
> To: Sarai Reader List <reader-list at sarai.net>
> Subject: [Reader-list] 55% - and ever onward!
> 
> The news about the enthusiasm for voting in the J&K polls is getting
better
> every day: although voting for Phase 1 closed at 5pm on Dec 17,
the
> voter-turnout for Phase 1 has moved from 54% that day, to 64% the
next
> morning... Today's Times of India says it's 69%.
At this rate, who knows,
> those EVMs may throw up some real surprises
by close of polling in the
> state.

Meanwhile, I wonder if others have noticed the tremendous boost
> that
the presence of soldiers can give to democracy in remote areas. Gurez
in
> north Kashmir reported 73.59% in the first phase (admittedly down
from the 76%
> in the 2002 elections). It has a population of 30,000 and
a registered voter
> base of 15,000. It also has, for strategic reasons,
60,000 soldiers of the
> Indian Army permanently stationed there. That's
what - 4 soldiers per
> voter?

Could that be a solution to perk up the low voter turnout in
> Delhi
(40%) that Shashidhar had drawn our attention to?
I wonder if the
> Election Commission manuals have anything on that?

Best

Sanjay
> Kak
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