OMKAR DATTATRAY
There has been a marked and welcome development going on from those bygone days of militancy when there was only the killing sound of bullets in Jammu and Kashmir .J&K has traversed and marched from those day of bomb blasts ,hartal calls ,killings of the innocent civilians as well as our security personnel and from the poll boycott calls .In fact Jammu and Kashmir has left those bad years behind and is marching with great speed from the unfortunate days of militancy and bullets to the era of ballots and participatory democracy where common people are taking active part in the democratic process of elections. The people in Jammu and Kashmir are feeling very proud to take part in the elections and now the ground conditions have shown a discernable change with the people taking active part in the election .In Kashmir valley’s three Lok Sabha constituencies the people young ,old ,women and even centurions have exercised their democratic right to vote and this is no mean development by any standard .The large and voluntary participation of the people in Jammu and Kashmir read Kashmir in the current -2024 Lok sabha elections is a positive and encouraging development as it is a solid proof that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are in favor of change ,peace development and democratic process as the people have taken active part in the elections and it heralded a positive development and showed people’s aspiration in the democracy of the country and it also showed that the people have come and embraced the national mainstream .The fact that the besides national parties ,the regional political parties of National conference-NC ,People’s democratic party-PDP ,Peoples conference of Sajad Lone ,Apni Party of Altaf Bukhari and the Democratic progressive party of Azad have taken part in the Lok sabha elections and have fielded their candidates in these polls and this shows that the Jammu and Kashmir is marching from those bad and unfortunate days of militancy ,bullets and bomb blasts as well as poll boycotts to the era of ballot and democracy .This change from the bullet to ballot is praise worthy and the people of the union territory and the NDA government of Narendra Modi deserves kudos for this change ,peace ,development and for the change from bullet to ballot .It is very encouraging and satisfying that there has been spectacular increase in the voter turnout in all the three Lok Sabha seats and this large participation is a slap on the face of Pakistan and their agents back home as the evil designs of the enemy country have been frustrated and foiled as the voters have taken part in the elections thus signaling that people of Jammu and Kashmir want peace and development .Even the hotbeds of militancy and separatism has shown good participation in election 2024 and this shows that the people of Jammu and Kashmir no longer are falling in the trap of the enemy country and instead are embracing Indian democracy by taking active part in the elections .All this confirms the fact that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have reposed faith and trust in the democratic process and this participation of the common people is the testimony that the people of Jammu and Kashmir want peace ,development and change. This large participation of the voters in the democratic process of adult franchise augurs well for the people and the democracy. The unprecedented voter turnout in all the three Parliamentary constituencies is the victory and triumph of our democracy and those at the helm of affairs in Delhi should use this opportunity to further strengthen the bonds of change ,normalcy and participatory democracy .The unprecedented voter turnout in all the three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir and in the two seats of Jammu points towards the fact that people have shunned violence and are reposing trust and faith in India’s democracy which is dynamic ,resilient and vibrant and the people of Jammu and Kashmir have thrown out the bullets and guns and are taking refuge in the largest democracy of the world.Government of India deserves commendation and praise that they have in the past held the elections in Jammu and Kashmir in very trying circumstances. The first Lok Sabha election in Jammu and Kashmir was held in the hay days of militancy in 1989.But there was very little participation of the voters in that elections as the militants had an upper hand then and they gave the calls of poll boycott and thus because of security reasons ,the people by and large abstained from that election .Then in 1996 state assembly elections were held which was the first assembly elections in the militancy and there was also very less participation of the people in the state assembly elections as there were poll boycott calls and the majority of people abstained from voting .But with low turnout of votes ,the NC government headed by Dr Farooq Abdulla won with small vote percentage and formed the state government .Later on the governors rule was imposed in the state .Now in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections ,there has been a spectacular increase in the voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir as the people have taken an active part in the elections for the first time in the militancy and it points towards the success of the centre governments efforts for change ,normalcy and development .The large participation of the people in the Lok sabha polls points towards the fact that post abrogation of article 370,people are satisfied and happy and they are taking pride to be the part and parcel of the national mainstream .The rhetoric of the regional political parties of NC,PDP and that of the congress that the Modi government has done a blunder of scrapping article 370 and it will create a deep wedge between Delhi and the Jammu and Kashmir has proved wrong .Instead the people of Jammu and Kashmir have taken an active part in elections proving those political champions wrong who advocated that there will be the flood of blood in Jammu and Kashmir .Not a single life was lost post abrogation of article 370 in August 2019.On the other hand there has been change ,peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir post abrogation of article 370.Now with the large and whole scale participation of the common people in the Lok sabha polls is the testimony to the fact that the people of Kashmir are in favor of peace ,democracy and development .In short it can be truly opined that the Jammu and Kashmir has marched from bullets to Ballots and this is no less than the triumph of Indian democracy.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist).