Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 16: Notwithstanding Election Commission of India’s numerous efforts to ensure massive participation in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, more than 10,000 Ladakhi students studying outside the region may not be able to exercise their democratic right due to the closure of Srinagar-Leh National Highway and exorbitant air-fares.
These voters of Ladakh Lok Sabha seat, which is going to polls on May 7, have made it clear that in case Election Commission does not make arrangement for their voting in Jammu on the pattern of Kashmiri migrants, they would not participate in any of the future elections.
According to the information available with EXCELSIOR, more than 10,000 students of Ladakh region, who are eligible to participate in the elections, are presently studying in various educational institutions in Jammu, Chandigarh and Delhi and due to the closure of Srinagar-Leh National Highway, they are not in a position to reach their native places well before the day of polling for the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat.
Sources said that Border Roads Organization (BRO), which is responsible for the maintenance of Srinagar-Leh National Highway, has indicated that the Zojila Pass would be opened either in the first or second week of May.
“Even if the highway is opened on May 5, such a large number of voters would not be able to reach their native places well before the day of polling”, sources said, adding “these students cannot even opt for the option of air travel as on one side fare of flights from Jammu to Leh is ranging between Rs 10,000 to Rs 14,000 and on the other side the availability of tickets is very bleak”.
The Ladakhi students studying in Jammu discussed these practical difficulties in a meeting held under the banner of All Ladakh Students Joint Action Committee in the Jammu University campus the other day and fearing denial of opportunity to participate in the democratic exercise, they made a representation to the District Election Officer (Deputy Commissioner Leh) seeking his intervention in ensuring their participation in the polls.
“Either all the students, who are eligible to cast vote in the elections, should be airlifted aircrafts so that they could cast their votes or polling station(s) must be established in Jammu for the voting convenience of thousands of the students studying outside Ladakh”, said the representation made by the students to the District Election Officer.
They have also brought these difficulties to the notice of all the parties contesting elections from the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat, Chief Executive Councilor, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh and other bodies representing cross section of society in Ladakh region.
“In case no arrangement is made we would be compelled to boycott all the future elections and the onus will be purely on all those who have been apprised of our difficulties”, the students have made it clear, adding “if the Election Commission can set up polling stations in Jammu for the Kashmiri migrants so that they can exercise their democratic rights for the Lok Sabha seats of Kashmir valley, what is the problem is establishing such polling station(s) for Ladakhi students”.
When asked, these students said, “the Election Commission, which has taken numerous steps to ensure massive participation in the Lok Sabha elections, can establish polling station(s) at least in Jammu as the same would be beneficial for the students studying in Chandigarh and Delhi”, adding “if the Election Commission is so serious about ensuring huge turnout it should evolve a mechanism for our participation in polls”.
When contacted, District Election Officer, Leh, Simrandeep Singh confirmed that he has received representation from the Ladakhi students. “I have forwarded the representation to the Chief Electoral Officer for his consideration”, he added.
It is pertinent to mention here that for a constituency like Ladakh even 10,000 voters assume much importance and can be deciding factor in favour of any contesting candidate.
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