Another meaningless exercise

The POST, Sun, Nov,23, 2008.

Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema

Recently the first phase of a seven part elections across the Indian Held Kashmir(IHK) has been completed. The elections ordinarily mean to establish a representative basic governance system. However if such elections are held under the strict vigilance of security forces, then these may turn out to be nothing more than a farce. Many outsider regard almost all past elections in IHK as nothing more than meaningless exercises but Indian administration, of course, tend to project them as the part of the practicing democracy.

Given the nature of the ongoing freedom struggle in IHK and the lingering dispute over Kashmir between India and Pakistan, such election exercises are viewed as devices to either to secure a rubber stamp assembly or to prove that the people of the state has accepted the rule of India. If few people participate in elections then one often advances the argument that it is nothing more than a farce. But if people participate in reasonable numbers, then it is invariably projected as the much sought after reconciliation with the Indian rule.

What is perhaps intriguing about this first phase of this election is that it was held soon after IHK has experienced a major turmoil. It was expected that the turn out of the voters would be limited especially in valley. However the reports are indicating that a sizable section of the Kashmiri people participated in the elections. It has been reported that in some areas the voters’ percentage was over 60 percent. Undoubtedly the biggest surprise was the voting percentage of Bondipura which is deemed as one of strongholds of the freedom fighters. It has been reported that the voting percentage in Bondipure was around 57 percent.

A good turn out implies two things; one that the Kashmiri people have either reconciled with the India rule or that the voters are treating the elections and struggle for independence as two separate issues. Each has to be assessed separately and the two should not be mixed. There is no doubt that even if you are living under alien’s rule, one would like to have good and just government.

The arguments that are advanced in support of impressive turn out revolves around that the people are also concerned with the good governance and the choice of the government in Kashmir. This does not mean that they have abandoned their quest for independence. One is viewed as a short term remedy and the other objective is viewed as long tern goal.

Good governance implies that not only Kashmiri people’s fundamental rights are not violated but the commodities for daily use are available on reasonable rates along with fair and just approach of the government. The quest appears to be to choose best party among the available parties that were ruling and are contesting these elections.

Despite the fact that the last six months have seen biggest anti-India protests in the Kashmir valley since the freedom struggle intensified in 1989, the voters appeared to have thought that they should their right in order to secure a relatively more just and fair government. While they do not regret having participated in the recent protests over the Amarnath land transfer issue or even ignore how the Indian governments have employed pressurization tactics, the participation in these elections appears to be motivated to get rid bad government opt for a lesser evil. They also remember the enormous sacrifices they made in their quest for freedom and this fact by itself is not going to let them ignore their real quest for freedom.

Many of them argued that independence is a separate issue than desire and need for a better life. They don’t see any contradiction if a Kashmiri votes today and participate in freedom struggle tomorrow. Apparently it seems they see them as separate issue which can be simultaneously supported and advanced.

What is intriguing this is that the militant wings of Kashmiri freedom struggle refrained from putting pressures on the public in general and the Indian security forces also avoided employing the coercive methods as they frequently did in the past. The previous elections have seen forcing the voters to come out of their houses and ensuring that they vote by the Indian security forces but this time the security forces appeared to have kept a low profile.

Another aspect of these elections revolves around whether or not the All Parties Hurryat Conference(APHC) is loosing its popularity. The APHC leadership had given a clear call to boycott the elections yet the first phase clearly reflects an impressive participation of the people. The APHC leadership has questioned the validity of figures issued by the Indian government.

The APHC’s argument revolves around the question it is possible to have free and fair election in the presence of massive Indian troops. The argument makes sense. The very presence of such a large number of Indian security forces along with its past track record certainly lends strength to APHC’s argument. On the other it is also difficult to brush aside that the main stream political parties may have won some new converts.

Although it not appropriate to base any major conclusion on the bases of the first phase of this elections but one thing is certain that trend that has been indicated by the first phase does point to fatigue syndrome. It is possible that the Kashmiri people may have devised a long term strategy which is aimed at freedom and a short term strategy which aims to strive for better governance.

These results should also send a clear signal to the Indian authorities that withdrawal of forces and total halt to human rights violations could improve the situation in the IHK. On the other hand the Kashmir voters appear to have ignored the propaganda dividends that India is likely to gain. Given the past record, India would push the argument that the people of Kashmir are demonstrating their reconciliation with the Indian rule. Yet as mentioned above it is too early to come to any definite conclusion whether this elections is like the past meaning less exercises or reconciliation of the Kashmiri people with Indian rule unless the entire election is over.

The writer works for Islamabad Policy research Institute.