India's irony: Forced elections in occupied Kashmir amid lockdown

SRINAGAR: In occupied Kashmir, India is holding local body elections on Thursday (today) in the territory amid a boycott by most political parties, which have termed it “undemocratic”.

Thousands of people along with hundreds of leaders of pro-India parties, including three former puppet chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, remain in detention since New Delhi revoked the special status of occupied Kashmir on 5th of August.

Residents and political parties have criticised the timing of the forced elections as the territory remains under military lockdown and a near-complete communication blackout, Kashmir Media Service reported. 

The main political parties of occupied Kashmir such as National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party and other small parties have not put up candidates. Around 60 percent village council seats remain vacant due to the boycott by the regional parties.

Most of the 1,065 candidates in the fray have been accommodated in highly guarded hotels in Srinagar, hundreds of kilometers away from the villages from where they are contesting, putting a question mark on the validity of the election process.

“This is really worth seeing how the democracy of India lives in hotels in Kashmir,” said 30-year-old, Dilshad Ahmad. “This is a forced election. We don’t know what they plan to do here,” he added.

Read More: Life remains crippled in occupied Kashmir on 81st day

The ruling Hindu extremist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has abrogated Article 370, is contesting the elections and is hoping for a major win.

Ghulam Ahmad Mir, a senior leader of the Indian National Congress from south Kashmir’s Islamabad district, accused the BJP of destroying the territory. He questioned the election process as most party leaders are in jails or under house arrest. “This election is for the BJP, by the BJP and of the BJP. They (BJP) are forcing themselves on people in Kashmir. There is no democratic way,” he said.