PDP’s Waheed Parra Talks Elections in Srinagar, Jammu Kashmir

OutlookIndia

Outlook's Naseer Ganai speaks with Waheed Parra, Srinagar's candidate from the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party (PDP). He views his campaign as more than simply asking for votes but also as an opportunity to reconnect with people after the abrogation of Article 370, sensing hope among first-time voters.  Follow us: Website: https://www.outlookindia.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Outlookindia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outlookindia/ X: https://twitter.com/Outlookindia Whatsapp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaNrF3v0AgWLA6OnJH0R Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutlookMagazine Dailymotion: https://www.dailymotion.com/outlookindia  #WaheedParra #Srinagar #JammuKashmir #PDP

Transcript

00:00 Hi, I am Naseer Ghanai, I am a reporter with Outlook Magazine. We have with us today, PDP's

00:11 candidate for Srinagar constituency, Wahidur Rahman Parra. We will talk to him about his

00:16 election campaign in Srinagar constituency and about the three constituencies of Tashmir

00:21 in particular where PDP has fielded candidates. First, we will start with Wahid, why this

00:27 election is important? I think this election is more than votes, this is about breaking

00:32 this whole cycle of silence and suffocation in J&K. So, people are feeling there is lot

00:39 of control and thought policing happened after abrogation of Article 370 from 2019. So, people

00:46 feel like choked, there is no space and we are trying to reclaim our space brick by brick,

00:52 going to people, having a conversation, opening spaces with people and more than seeking votes,

00:58 we are also trying to heal people and also trying to heal ourselves as well because there

01:02 was no space available for last many years. So, lot of people were detained, arrested,

01:08 the political parties were like newly created, some were given space selectively, some were

01:12 denied space. So, particularly about PDP, 40 people were like left the party from MLAs,

01:21 ministers, MLCs to MPs. So, there was lot of crackdown and assault on people's democratic

01:26 party for talking truth to the power. So, I think for us it is an opportunity to reach

01:31 out to the people and given the stance of our party president Mahabalbanwati ji which

01:36 has been consistent wise on everything that is happening here from last 5 years. So, we

01:41 are trying our level best to take, you know, make this as an opportunity to talk to people

01:48 and create that connect again. So, for past one month you have been campaigning

01:53 in Purvamma, Khanderbal and other areas. So, what is the impact, what you get from the

01:57 people? I think there is a mixed response. In some

02:01 pockets people are cynical, they are depressed, there is hopelessness a lot that everything

02:08 is lost and what is there to vote. In some circles there is not such enthusiasm but in

02:14 some pockets there is among the young people we see some urge to connect. The first time

02:19 voters are there like who are more interested than the traditional voters. So, the bycourt

02:24 constancy seems to be more interested towards coming into a programs, listening to rallies.

02:30 So, there is a silent constancy which is opting for vote because after abrogation a separatist

02:36 space has diminished, the militant space has gone completely eroded. So, that expression

02:43 is completely now democratized which looks like that is the impression on streets.

02:48 So, I think people see this as a one window open to vent out their expression, also vent

02:54 out their anger and they want to exercise some democratic resistance and that is what

03:01 political parties are trying especially PDP is trying to actually do is that they want

03:05 to give that vent out to the people that democratically you can protest through coming to the ballot

03:10 and register whatever your aspirations are like.

03:15 [MUSIC PLAYING]

03:18 you

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