Srinagar
Sunday election will go in history as one of the bloodiest democratic exercises in history when eight civilians were killed and more than 30 were injured. The turnout on Sunday was 7.14%, the lowest ever that this segment has recorded ever.
Compared with the least polled 1989 Lok Sabha elections that witnessed only 5.18 percent participation, turnout was still better. But in 1989, Srinagar witnessed no contest at all, unlike South and North Kashmir.
The 1989 Lok Sabha polls were held in a situation when the alienation was at its top. The people were so disengaged with the exercise that nobody in Srinagar filed nomination papers others than NC’s Mohammad Shafi Bhat. He won uncontested.
File photo of deserted Lal Chowk in Srinagar (KL Image: Bilal Bahadur)
In north Kashmir Prof Saif ud Din Son won though only 5.36% of 698284 voters exercised their right of franchise. Incidentally, one third of the polled votes came from Uri alone.
In South Kashmir, separatist youth had kept a coffin in the main Chowk announcing the first voter will get a colour TV, then a costly luxury. While the main town boycotted, there was still polling. NCs P L Handoo won with thumped majority even as only five percent of 736495 voters came out.
That election continues to be the lowest Lok Sabha polls ever with an overall participation of 5.18%.
The subsequent Lok Sabah polls witnessed better participation and invariably a level of violence remained around. Most of the violence came from rebels.
The 2017 Lok Sabha poll was supposed to be the lowest participated exercise. It was clear when the two main political parties had low key campaigning and avoided getting so close with the people. Instead, the workers were invited to closed and secured spaces for interactions. The pessimists in the unionist camp were expecting 10 percent plus and the optimists never crossed twenty. But the EVMs eventually shocked all by stayed at 7.14%.
Interestingly, there were two things clearly invisible. The separatist triumvirate comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yasin Malik were not permitted to move out and campaign for boycott. There was not a single militant attack on any polling staff anywhere, especially on Sunday.
It was anybody’s guess that the youth would react to the exercise at ground zero. It happened. But why were guns used at such a large scale? By now there are eight youth already dead and three time more injured and fighting to survive. This question would be asked every time, the politicians would go for seeking votes. The next day when people would seek answers might be on Wednesday.
