A voter in the Jammu and Kashmir elections told the Daily Excelsior, “A caged bird has been set free.” That was the feeling that many others shared. Additionally, it was a response to the inquiry concerning the effects of Article 370’s abrogation. On Tuesday, Hindu refugees from Pakistan, including Valmikis, Gorkhas, and West Pakistan Refugees (WPR), cast their votes in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election for the first time.
More Than 1.5 Lakh Voters Cast Their Vote First Time
There are around 1.5 lakh people from these communities in J&K, and Tuesday was a day filled with emotions.
“For the past seventy years, our community has not had the right to vote. The Hindu refugee from Pakistan, who was voting for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir, told the Daily Excelsior, a J&K-based newspaper, “The Valmiki community was kept away from the voting process.”
Voters Share Sweets and Celebrate Voting Rights
In Chakra and Chabay Chak, districts of Samba and Jammu, West Pakistani refugees celebrated the day before voting day by sharing sweets.
“I am very happy… I am 50, but this is the first time I am voting. A voter informed the Daily Excelsior that “things are changing now.”
Voting is now open to members of the West Pakistan Refugee, Valmiki, and Gorkha communities, who have been considered “unwanted citizens” for more than seven decades. They have never had a voice in politics.
Beginning Of New ERA for Voters In Jammu and Kashmir
The three communities’ members: Now, the WPRs, Valmikis, and Gorkhas will choose MLAs. People claimed that it marked the beginning of a new era.
“We are finally participating in the Assembly elections for the first time in history after living in Jammu and Kashmir for the past 75 years as unwelcome citizens. According to Labha Ram Gandhi, president of the West Pakistan Refugees Action Committee, in an interview with PTI, “It is a dream come true for us.”
According to the ECI statement, elections witnessed a significant increase in voter turnout in areas once infamous for terrorism and boycotting democratic processes.
“Polling percentage has increased by 12.97 percent in Pulwama AC in the Legislative Assembly Elections 2024 compared to the corresponding elections held in 2014.”
