Ensuring security a challenge
The upcoming parliamentary polls are a challenge for the administration in many ways. The volatile situation in Kashmir valley has been making this challenge all the more difficult for the authorities as security officials have reports and apprehensions about escalation in violence especially in south Kashmir and many areas in Srinagar.
The situation is grave in many areas where the district authorities have been asked to identify spots and places where poll participants including the contestants have been asked to carry out the campaigns so that subversive elements do not get any chance to target these meetings.
The security agencies sensing the atmosphere have started mapping out areas in Kashmir where the polling booths are to be set up. This exercise has been necessitated as around 90 percent of polling booths in Srinagar and Anantnag parliamentary constituencies fall in the hypersensitive categories.
Notably, the general elections in the state are being held in five phases beginning April 11, and during this phase the restive Anantnag seat in southern Kashmir will witness the polling in three phases. All this has been done to ensure maximum security presence and cover so that the elections get through without any hassles.
The southern part, especially Anantnag parliamentary seat is proving to be a tough nut to crack. Last year the elections to this constituency could not be held as the security environs were so volatile that the Election Commission thought it wise to cancel the polls at the last minute.
Therefore, the challenges for the security establishment is manifold this time around as well as the situation has not improved so drastically so as to provide a conducive atmosphere for polls.
The biggest and foremost challenge for the security officials is to identify the places where polling booths will be setup. Besides, framing the requirement of forces personnel to be deployed at sensitive and hypersensitive polling booths has also to be the prime focus so that the entire exercise becomes free and fair.
Holding of parliamentary polls in Jammu and Kashmir at this juncture will invite lot of international gaze as well. The holding of polls is being viewed as the peoples participation in a democratic exercise among the establishment, but on the other side the increasing dissention and alienation among the Kashmiri’s is making it a tough bargain for the establishment.
Infact the ruling party at the centre sees the elections as the only way to serve the people and bring about a change in the State. This policy though cannot be taken as an ultimate solution, but once the exercise has been set in motion several issues have to be ensured at all costs.
The elections process should be free and fair and no one should be allowed to interfere in the process in any way. Whosoever is willing to participate in the democratic exercise should be able to do so without any coercion or threat being thrust on him. This alone will restore the entire exercise as meaningful.
KV Network
