This report describes the conduct of the 2004 Jammu and Kashmir parliamentary elections in the context of ongoing military occupation. The report finds that Kashmiris were coerced to vote by armed personnel and that even though coercion was less frequent compared to 2 years earlier, incidences were more common outside the city. 64% boycotted elections and 34% of the population voted. Kashmiri political leaders like Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah, Sayed Ali Geelani, Shahidul Islam, and Javed Mir were obstructed from addressing meetings--the police detained them or placed them under house arrest
Topics: monitoring and analysis of parliamentary elections in Jammu and Kashmir in 2004
Terms: 2004 Jammu and Kashmir parliamentary elections, denial of political rights, denial of right to free and fair elections, denial of right to political self-determination, lack of democracy, denial of right to free expression, denial of right to free assembly, Rashtriya Rifles, Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act (AFSPA), Border Security Force (BSF), election rigging, voter fraud, voter intimidation, forcible voting, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
...popular enthusiasm and participation are at variance with each other. Although election was a subject matter of vibrant discussion the visible divide between people was not so much to do with which party to vote for rather it was whether or not to boycott elections
There is more to elections in Jammu and Kashmir than the issue of voter turnout. * First and foremost the issue is whether “free and fair” elections are at all possible in the conditions that operate here. The first condition for “free” people is their right to live in dignity and freedom, something that is denied to Kashmiris. While ceasefire operates in the border between Indian and Pakistani armies there has been no cessation of hostilities by the Indian security forces inside Jammu & Kashmir. Counter-insurgency revolves around cutting the links between the people and the militants by proceeding on the assumption that everyone is a suspect unless proved otherwise. The point is to understand that atrocities are built into Counter Insurgency because people are made to pay such a heavy price that others get deterred
Rashtriya Rifles was visible everywhere inside the villages but also seen “persuading” people to cast their vote. This was noticed at several places by the teams in more than one area during the course of the monitoring and was observed in all the four phases of polls. Which obviously meant that security forces didn’t heed the order of the Election Commission to desist from persuading people to cast their vote.
December 2004
Originally published
Photo creditDownload (PDF)Download Here