J&K: Kashmiri Pandits In Exile Vote With Hope Of Homecoming

Forced from their homeland, leaving behind their houses, belongings, and families, many Kashmiri Pandits now residing in Jammu showed up in significant numbers outside polling stations on Monday. Perhaps fueled by the aspiration of a potential return to their roots in the foreseeable future, despite enduring losses to militancy and cross-border terrorism, these migrants demonstrated their engagement in the democratic process.

During the polling for Phase 4 of the Lok Sabha elections on Monday, migrant Kashmiri voters were photographed lining up outside a designated polling station in Jammu’s Barnai village to participate in the electoral process for the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency. Speaking to ANI, one of the migrant Pandits, who was among the many waiting to cast their votes during the Srinagar polling, emphasized that their primary concern while voting was the rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits back to their homeland.

“We all know how the Kashmiri Pandits came to be dislodged from their roots in 1990. Hence, it is important that there is a conversation around their rehabilitation and being represented in Parliament. We need to make our votes count. Voting is the only way we can push forward with our demands for the development, rehabilitation of the Kashmir Pandits and the restoration of basic educational rights for them,” the migrant voter told ANI.

Dr Ramesh Bhat, another Kashmiri Pandit, told ANI, “The scars that we carry and the pain of being away from our native soil will, perhaps, never heal. However, I am happy how the Election Commission arranged for us to vote today as it enabled us to stay connected to our roots. We are thankful to them. Our only hope is that whoever comes to power takes note of our demands and enables us to exercise our franchise on our home soil next time.”

“Our votes will go a long way towards charting the country’s future. Physically, we may be in Jammu but in spirit, we are with our brothers, sisters and brethren in Kashmir,” he added.

The Election Commission has established special polling booths for displaced Pandits across the national capital, scheduled to vote in Phase 6 on May 25. These special booths are located at Kashmir Resident Commission, 5 PR Road, New Delhi, Kashmir Kissan Ghar, BR-2 Shalimar Bagh, Delhi, Arwachin International Public School, Pocket F Dilshad Garden, Delhi, and GGSSS Paprawat, Najafgarh.

In the absence of candidates from either the BJP or the Congress in Srinagar, the primary contenders for the prestigious Srinagar seat are Waheed Ur Rehman Para of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi of the National Conference. Despite their partnership in the Opposition alliance—INDIA, both the PDP and the National Conference decided to contest independently in the Lok Sabha elections in the Union Territory.

Since the collapse of the PDP-BJP government in June 2018, the former state has been under central rule, with the last assembly polls conducted in 2014. The voting process in Jammu and Kashmir is divided into five phases. In the 2019 elections, the BJP and the National Conference each secured three seats. The counting of votes for all Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir and across the nation is slated for June 4.