Will Kashmir residents vote in India's general election?
Many in Kashmir feel disempowered since Narendra Modi's government took control of the region in northern India. But candidates have urged residents to cast ballots in the fourth phase of India's general elections to give the once semi-autonomous region a voice.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 At this election rally, feverish excitement defines the mood.
00:11 Because of him, Waheed Parra is contesting elections in Srinagar city.
00:18 He is a member of People's Democratic Party, one of the main regional parties in J&K.
00:28 This party is advocating for self-rule instead of autonomy.
00:33 Nearly ten years ago, it was even allied with the ruling BJP of Prime Minister Modi.
00:41 It's the final days of campaigning, and Waheed Parra is canvassing in the town of Pulwama,
00:46 once a separatist stronghold.
00:47 We are trying to heal people.
00:48 We are all traumatic in many ways.
00:49 Everyone of us has lost something, personally, politically, socially, emotionally, but there's
00:50 just no way to heal.
00:51 For decades, Kashmir has seen protracted conflict, insurgency and state repression.
01:09 Thousands of people have been killed, many more injured or arrested.
01:16 Because of its violent history, the people of Kashmir have mostly boycotted general elections.
01:22 But at this rally, Parra is urging them to cast their vote.
01:26 For us, this election is about giving voice to the people of Kashmir.
01:29 There's a complete cycle of suffocation in J&K from last five, six years.
01:34 There's thought policing, people are not speaking, media is not talking, and people are feeling
01:39 completely silenced.
01:41 In 2020, Parra was himself arrested for allegedly supporting an Islamist terror organisation.
01:50 He has denied all the charges.
01:52 Currently on bail, he now seeks to represent Kashmir in India's parliament.
02:00 But in downtown Srinagar, once at the heart of the separatist movement, there is still
02:05 resistance to participation.
02:09 This young man, Hushal Khol Imad, agreed to speak to us on the condition of anonymity.
02:18 In 2016, he took part in protests against Indian rule.
02:23 Imad was hit by pellets, fired by security forces.
02:30 He lost sight in one eye and was partially blinded in the other.
02:35 For him, to vote in Indian elections would be to legitimise Indian rule.
02:42 These elections do not hold any meaning for us.
02:45 Previously, Kashmiris participated in elections, but they were betrayed.
02:49 The regime of torture continued for us.
02:51 For me, voting in this election means selling my soul.
02:58 At the BJP's headquarters in Srinagar, the party spokesman tells a different story.
03:04 He maintains things have only changed for the better since Kashmir's autonomy was revoked.
03:10 In Kashmir, after 2019, there have been no shutdowns, which is the change you will see
03:17 here.
03:18 In 2023, more than 25 million tourists visited the valley, which is another significant change.
03:26 Tourists only go to places where there is peace.
03:30 Despite his claims, the party has not fielded a single candidate in Kashmir in this year's
03:35 election.
03:42 Back in Pulwama, Waheed Parra is rallying the people to vote.
03:48 His message, winning a seat in parliament, could give back a voice to those Kashmiris
03:53 who have felt disempowered.
03:56 This India's sole Muslim-majority region lost its autonomy.
04:01 (audience applauding)