The aftershocks of parliamentary polls are felt in embattled Kashmir in many ways. On Friday, police swooped on groups of youngsters in north Kashmir’s Sopore and Baramulla towns to neutralise “gangs” involved in terrorising people who cast their votes in the last phase of election on May 7. Incidents of stripping and thrashing voters were reported on Thursday and Friday.
The incidents coincided with killing of a 77-year-old elected village representative at Wanpoh village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. The villager was a member of ruling National Conference and had campaigned during the parliamentary polls.
Sources said that the agitated youngsters in Sopore had targeted people descending from Handwara, lolab and Kupwara towns and their peripheral villages. Some passenger vehicles coming from these areas were also targeted. “They (attackers) were checking ink-marks on the index finger and if that confirmed the person had cast his vote, he was ruthlessly beaten up,” said an eyewitness from Sopore.
Sopore recorded the 1.08 per cent polling, the lowest of any Assembly segment in Jammu & Kashmir. On the contrary the segments of lolab, Kupwara, langate, Uri, Rafiabad and Handwara recorded more than 60 per cent polling. This angered certain volatile Sopore and Baramulla residents, who are influenced by separatists’ poll-boycott ideology.
However, the incidents of manhandling voters in Sopore and Baramulla had a public reaction also. On Friday, when merchants from Sopore went to Handwara for their routine businesses, they were disallowed by the people to run their shops. Most of the businesses in Handwara are owned by Sopore residents.
Police said that five persons have been arrested and as many FIRs have been registered in Sopore and Baramulla.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said, “The gangs moving around trying to terrorise those who voted will not be tolerated”.
“Action will be taken against anyone found trying to terrorise voters and the police have been instructed accordingly,” he said in a twitter response to the incidents.
“Can’t have freedom to choose not to vote without allowing people who want to vote a similar choice,” he further said.
The incidents have also worried hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani, who spearheaded the poll boycott campaign though most of the separatist leaders and workers were detained during the polling process.
“There are reports of Sopore traders being asked to shut shops in Handwara and people from Kupwara and Handwara being troubled, this is unpleasant and is against the ethos of Islam and our nation,” Geelani said in a video message circulated on YouTube.
“The voting process is over and we must live like brothers and must not indulge in activities that can lead to a civil war,” he said.
The mainstream political parties have also condemned attacks on voters.