SRINAGAR: In the UN-recognized disputed territory of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), the influence of the ballot is often overshadowed by the presence of military force. According to media reports, assembly elections in IIOJ&K are being held in three phases, with the final vote count on October 4, 2024.
The electoral process in IIOJ&K consistently raises fundamental concerns about the fairness and transparency of both the election’s execution and its results. Historically, the aspirations of the local population and the intentions of the occupying administration have diverged sharply.
What does voting represent in the world’s most militarized zone, where the region’s political identity is under constant threat? IIOJ&K, caught between the pursuit of autonomy and centralized control, embodies a profound paradox. These polls transcend the mere selection of representatives; they represent a broader struggle between imposed governance and the people’s enduring demand for self-determination.
The Illusion of Democracy in Occupied Kashmir
Within the broader narrative of Indian democracy, elections in IIOJ&K resemble political theatre reminiscent of authoritarian regimes. Beneath the facade of governance lies a profound irony: the illusion of freedom in a region dominated by militarization and control. The situation in IIOJ&K reflects not liberty but the deliberate manipulation of reality. Although these elections may appear to signal the return of democracy, the people of IIOJ&K perceive them as having little more significance than local municipal polls.
The revocation of Article 370, which once granted the region a degree of autonomy, has subjected IIOJ&K to direct centralized control, fuelling a deep sense of disenfranchisement and loss. Distrust toward the Indian government is widespread and entrenched.
Reluctant Optimism in Occupied Kashmir – Extensive Powers of Lieutenant Governor
The upcoming elections will fill 90 Assembly seats, yet the authority of these representatives will be restricted, experts said. Key areas like law, order, and land remain under the control of the Lieutenant Governor, making statehood a distant reality. Voters and local leadership alike are sceptical of the elections’ significance without the restoration of IIOJ&K’s statehood, experts and local leaders said.
Political analysts, such as Kanwal Singh and Anuradha Bhasin, suggest that contesting for such limited powers resembles the plight of regional dynasties deciding whether to participate in what has been reduced to a municipal council labelled as a legislature.
Militarization and Control
The deployment of an additional 300 military companies to an already heavily militarized IIOJ&K casts further doubt on the authenticity of the democratic process. With a voter-to-security personnel ratio of 10:1, the elections resemble more of a military exercise than a democratic practice.
This excessive militarization has prompted fears that in regions where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lacks support, democracy is merely held at gunpoint, experts said.
The Role of Local Representation
Despite widespread distrust, many Kashmiris believe that boycotting the elections could have detrimental consequences. Voting, for them, is not necessarily an endorsement of the system but a means to retain some measure of influence.
Even within limited authority, local representatives can advocate for improved services, preserve cultural heritage, and promote policies beneficial to the community. While the Assembly’s power is restricted, having a voice no matter how small is preferable to complete silence.
The people of Kashmir have rejected political engineering and demographic apartheid in the Occupied region. BJP won Lok Sabha seat from Rajouri through rigging, reports said. Win was not possible without appending Kalakote ex Rajouri with Anantnag, it maintained.
Increase in number of seats in Hindu majority areas only to accumulate undue advantage 6 seats; population ration disregarded, it added. Unfair allocation seats; plea to grant additional seats to Samba & Katuua was more applicable to Rajouri and Poonch. Jakhani village; did not vote for extremist BJP. It is located near the Line of Control (LoC) with Ramnagar but is not associated with Chennai – causing inconvenience for people and intended to increase pro BJP voters’ density in Ramnagar.
Thanamandi; new constituency formed to severe Muslims’ seat from Rajouri; Rajouri became Hindu majority constituency despite with 28% Hindus, according to media reports. Muslim majority in Kalakote (51% Muslims) converted into minority by annexing Sunderbani (86% Hindus), it added.
IIOJK cannot be controlled from Delhi
Indian government only concerned with a piece of land, not people; democracies are people’s rule; people have voted against BJP in Lok Sabha elections and will vote again to register their hatred. No party is ready to form alliance with BJP in assembly elections; BJP’s politics is undesirable, analysts said.
Experts said that issuing Kashmiri domiciles to Hindu extremists to destroy social harmony as well as toxic social fabric in the disputed region. BJP denying people’s right to vote through political manipulation and arresting as well as harassing political opponents through state machinery. BJP will create unrest in the disputed areas where it is likely to lose and may resort to state-managed act to evade elections-Face Saving.
Entire state machinery has been deployed to rig elections in the occupied region. Analysts said that the BJP also attempts to alter representation of Muslims and bring Hindu CM in the Occupied Kashmir. For this purpose, Indian government also carried out major reshuffling in Occupied Kashmir police before assembly elections to benefit the extremist BJP.
Expected Outcome
Genuine peace in Occupied Kashmir cannot be achieved through superficial displays of democracy alone. The Indian government must address the fundamental demands of the Kashmiri people, including self-determination, autonomy, and justice.
Analysts said without substantial engagement on these critical issues, elections in IIOJ&K will continue to be perceived as mere political theatrics, concealing the unresolved tensions beneath the surface.
Despite presenting the outward appearance of democratic process, elections in IIOJ&K take place in a landscape defined by militarization, widespread distrust, and centralized authority.
Until the core issues of autonomy and justice are meaningfully addressed, these elections will remain emblematic of a flawed and illusory democracy, where the ballot is consistently overshadowed by the presence of force, experts said.
Pakistan dismisses these elections as a “sham” or “cosmetic” exercise, arguing that they do not reflect the will of the Kashmiri people. The country maintains that the only acceptable solution to the Kashmir issue is an UN-supervised plebiscite, in line with UN Security Council resolutions.
The Pakistani government officially supports the “right to self-determination” for the Kashmiri people, advocating for an internationally recognized plebiscite to decide the region’s future.
Pakistan emphasizes that any electoral processes conducted by India in the region are invalid and do not represent the true aspirations of the Kashmiri people.
