BY

May, 24, 1995, a Friday, a rest day when I would like to take my own sweet time in waking up. Although I had slept very late, somehow I was up by seven-thirty. I got up to get the bundle of newspapers. As I opened THE NEWS INTERNATIONAL I was taken aback to read the shocking headline: KASHMIRIS FORCED TO VOTE AT GUNPOINT. Wait a second, I said to myself. Isn’t this the news about an area on earth, a heaven on earth actually, which is occupied against the people’s will by a country billed as the largest democracy in the world, which is rooted as the paragon of secularism, and which is considered as the next super-power? What did the headline really mean?

This made me sit up in my bed and I went thru the contents of the article. The first parliamentary elections in seven years in this war-strafed valley were declared a "success" by the electoral officers who reported a turnout of between 35 and 43 percent. Contrary to this boast, the news media had another story to tell. The two agencies that filed this report, AFP and Reuters, are not Pakistany news agencies nor are they Ghulam Nabi Khiyals (in case anyone may accuse them of partiality). These are genuine news agencies with headquarters in the Western countries.

The news reports mentioned that the voters were conspicuous by their absence and that those who actually voted did under compulsion. They were more afraid of the para-military forces who were ordered to ensure that people came out to vote. These uniformed personnel were rounding up the people like cattle and were threatening them with dire consequences e.g. "if you don’t have ink on your finger, you will be dealt with". Eye-witnesses disclosed to the reporters that Indian soldiers had entered the towns and villages at dawn and impelled them to go and vote. In fact, the people, especially the womenfolk, were literally dragged out of their homes and made to walk several miles in the rain to vote.

Some of the citizens alleged that para-military troopers forced them onto trucks at gunpoint and took them to a polling station. Polling areas were heavily guarded by the security forces who made sure that the voters, once they were in the polling area, went in and voted. It was reported that 60,000 additional troops were brought into the valley. These forces also used brute measures to repel the people who took out processions to protest the farce being perpetrated on the peace-loving residents of the valley.

The Kashmir Chief Secretary, in true bureaucratic style, rejected the allegations that people were coerced into voting. This was in response to the comments of reporters who said that they had personally seen the people being taken to vote at gunpoint. He also dismissed as "minor incidences" the protest marches, the tear-gassing by military forces, the firing over the heads of protesters, the four bomb blasts, and the roughing up of foreign journalists by the protectors of the state.

The world media have unanimously condemned Bharat for stage-managing the elections which they termed it as farcical and making a mockery of all democratic norms by forcing a subjugated people at gunpoint to cast vote of perpetuating their slavery to the Hindu juggernaut. The foreign journalists repeatedly pointed out that there were slogans for freedom, there were vociferous chants against the elections, and there were incantations against the siege-mentality of the powers in New Delhi.

All these events happened in the Anantnag and Baramulla constituencies and are a prelude to what will happen in Srinagar and Udhampur in a few days. The new Indian Premier, of course, rah-rahed the "ordinary Kashmiris" who had given a "befitting reply" to those who opposed the elections. Another slogan coined by the nationalist party that is trying to solidify its stake in ruling over the country.

The headline in THE NEWS on Saturday, May 25 states : KASHMIR AN INALIENABLE PART OF INDIA : SHARMA. The President of India was addressing the joint session of the Parliament and was echoing the outline of the program of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He went on to slaughter the concept of secularism that India had been proclaiming itself over the past half century. Shri Sharma continued with a heavy-handed attack on Pakistan and in unequivocal terms warned the world that the new India, as envisaged by the Hindu fundamentalist party, would use iron gloves and that there will be a "no-more-Mr Nice-Guy" approach.

The resident of Rashtprathi Bhavan also talked about increasing the military arsenal and reinforcing the forces capability thru research and acquisitions of military weaponry. He insisted that Kashmir was an integral part of India and that no power on earth can take away this inalienable right.

The world has now seen that the largest democratic nation has proved beyond a shadow of doubt that the claims tooted up by India about democracy, fundamental rights, and freedom are nothing but hogwash. They are means of enslaving a populace that has its own ideas of living, they are means of making subservient those people who desire to breathe the fresh air in a free territory, and they are means of vanquishing the hopes and aspirations of the valiant freedom fighters who are subjecting themselves to martyrdom so that their fellow Kashmiris can forever call the valley their own home.

The world community must wake up and adopt the Kashmiris slogan for freedom, must rally behind the cause espoused by the long-suffering people, and must successfully force the New Delhi government that enough is enough. The choice must be given to India : Freedom for Kashmir or face the world wrath. Time is short. Decide NOW !