Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 23: Kashmiri Pandit Sabha (KPS) in an emergency meeting convened by its president, K. K. Khosa castigated the Election Commission of India and J & K State for not evolving a convenient methodology for voting of displaced Kashmiris. The cumbersome procedure involving the displaced voters’ right since 1996 has seen no change during past 23 years which is truly very difficult.
Sabha president K K Khosa took a strong exception to the Election Commission’s apathy towards displaced voters where in even after filling the `M Forms’ the electoral list don’t carry their names. Today Jagti witnessed huge protest against Election Commission for this omission. There is serious attempt from some vested interests to blame the community for not casting votes without understanding the ground reality and difficulties of the displaced voters at large.
He said the voting procedure has serious procedural defects and difficulties where in voter has to visit several places even to find his / her name in the voter list. Then getting `M. Form’ and subsequently filling the same and later finding name in the list are a typical process of denial as the names are not enrolled properly in the voter lists with an intension to debar the community from participating in election process.
Even after filling up `M Forms’ the concerned zonal officers and the staff do not bother to forward them to concerned offices and instead threw them in dust bin there by making a mockery of entire system.
Those brave hearts who vote even after this difficulty need to be applauded, he added.
Khosa said the Sabha wants to know the reason for such discrimination against the displaced community inspite of the fact that the community had to flee from their natural habitat for being proud nationalist under duress and threat to their lives and honor. When each and every citizen of the nation has a simple and uncomplicated procedure to exercise their franchise by just producing any one of the identification proofs, such a discriminatory procedure is a sad commentary on the norms initiated for people who are refugees in their own country.
The Sabha feels that if the process of voting for displaced is not eased soon then decisions about future participation in election may have to be reviewed by the displaced people.
Sabha appealed the Election Commission of India and State Election authorities to seriously find a convenient way for casting of votes by displaced before coming Assembly elections.
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