Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 2: For the scrapping and completely abolishment of mandatory M-Forms to be filled by displaced Kashmiri voters ahead of every Parliamentary and Assembly election in the State, a massive protest cum scooter rally was taken out by the recently nominated 46 Assembly Segment coordinators of Youth All India Kashmiri Samaj (YAIKS) under the leadership of YAIKS chief, R K Bhat from its Headquarter, Muthi Jammu to Chief Electoral Officer’s Office, Gandhi Nagar.
The rally was taken via Janipur, Amphalla, Relief Commissioner’s Office and Tawi bridge was also blocked by the protesters for about 20 minutes during the protest rally.
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Addressing protesters Pt R K Bhat blamed political parties and the Election Commission’s cumbersome process of filling up of M Forms for a low voter turnout in the polls. Repeated pleas to abolish the process and allow the Kashmiri migrants to vote like other citizens of the country were rejected by all the political parties and the Election Commission. “Till now we have been looking towards the EC to do away with the process, but the election body has not heard us. In this regard YAIKS organized 21 days long campaigning in all Kashmiri Pandit dominated areas including Jagti Township, Muthi, Purkhoo, Durganagar and Bohri Talab Tilloo”.
“Why Pandits voting share/ratio is being exposed separately at the time of counting? Why all political parties have been blaming the Pandits for deliberately not voting during the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections?, When our pleas have not been heard and are being ignored because we are not a vote bank.,”
The procedure of the filling of M-Form is a highly flawed, discriminatory and cumbersome exercise and has resulted in altogether denial of the right to vote the displaced Kashmiri Pandits, demonstrators expressed serious concern that difficulties are being created in the election process of the Kashmiri Pandits due to which the community has been denied the right to vote over the years. It needs to be corrected on a priority basis as it can have long term ramifications resulting in voter imbalance in the State and particularly in the Kashmir Valley.
The demonstration was addressed by various Kashmiri Pandit leaders and coordinators. The speakers ridiculed the Government’s apathy by imposing unlawful exercise of M-Form for the election process of displaced Kashmiri’s. The M-Form exercise is a big hurdle in election process of Kashmiri Pandits.
Among others who addressed the gathering includes B K Bhat, (vice president), Ajay Safaya, Sanjay Ganjoo, Rakesh Fotadar (Secretaries) D. N. Bhat, Ashwani Kak, Rahul Koul, Vipin Kachroo, Kamal Tak, Shakuntala, Sheetal Zutshi, Pooja, Indu, Rakesh, Amit Raina, Dileep Ji, Naresh Kumar, Sanjay Raina and Amit Raina.
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