Updated: November 27, 2020 5:47:05 am
Choudhary Mohammad Yaseen Poswal, an independent candidate, is campaigning in Tral. (Express photo: Shuaib Masoodi)
At 10 a.m., Choudhary Mohammad Yaseen Poswal emerges from the security blanket over the EDI building in Pampore, on the outskirts of Srinagar. Poswal, a candidate in the first District Development Council elections in Jammu and Kashmir, is the only civilian in the two-vehicle mini-convoy with armed police.
With two days to go until the first phase and criticism from the main PAGD alliance of staying away from the electorate, the candidates are flanked by security personnel and accompanied by their constituencies.
This is the first step in the central government’s attempt to restart the political process in the newly created Union Territory with elections in 280 constituencies, 140 each in Kashmir and Jammu, starting on November 28. But on the ground, there are no cartels or parties. flags, and very little talk about the ballot box.
Read | Two soldiers killed in the J&K shooting, chase the gunmen
The only sign of an election is passing security vehicles. Moving quickly, they lead 44-year-old Poswal, an independent candidate, to Aripal tehsil in the Tral area of Pulwama, about 70 km to the south. Off the main road, there is an open field of rocks, after which the mobile network disappears. Another mile uphill is the village of Bangidar in Satoora, ready for a meeting under a black tarp tied to a tree.
With his 19-year-old son Younis leading the campaign, this is Poswal’s first visit to the constituency since he submitted his nomination on November 18. And with the snow falling, the residents – all from the Gujjar community that Poswal represents – shove under the tarp and take turns raising questions. “Even after years of electing leaders, we are waiting for basic facilities like roads and electricity. We have seen a difficult life, should our children face the same future? ”Asks a voter.
For an Assembly or Parliament election, the vote of the Gujjar community is relatively small. However, DDC elections provide the opportunity to elect more representatives.
Poswal’s promise is the implementation of the 2006 Forest Rights Act that aims to empower nomadic communities, such as the Gujjars and Bakerwals, by granting habitat and livelihood rights. But the expectations of his voters are much lower: In sight is a log of wood that serves as a bridge between two sides of the town.
Read | Days after he entered the DDC polls, the PDP youth chief was arrested in case of terrorism
For most residents, getting a permanent bridge is a more realistic and urgent need. On the periphery of the group, Hafeeza is with her two young children. “I live in fear that one of these days one of the children will slip and fall into the river bed. Even if there is no water, they will not survive, ”he says. Standing nearby, Abdul Gani says, “The stream is dry for two months out of the year and we have lost two people, including my sister.”
A bridge also means hope. “If there is a bridge, then it could follow a road, a school, a hospital and maybe a better life,” says Gani. Right now the closest school and hospital are about 2 km downhill. “When a woman is about to give birth or an elderly person needs urgent care, they have to be taken to the hospital,” says Fareeda, another resident.
Most of the men work as day laborers. And among a crowd of phirans and caps, Poswal stands out in his brown suit and plaid scarf.
When he begins to speak, the cops spread out around the group, their guns pointed directly. “Recently, in Pahalgam, the homes of forest dwellers like you and me were destroyed. After that, the administration issued an order to implement the Forest Rights Law. I hope that by March 2021 this will be implemented throughout J&K, ”says Poswal.
The lives of the community, he says, are closely tied to the forests they inhabit and should not be forcibly removed from their “rightful place.” “Many of them still use firewood in their kitchens, so they need to go to the forest to collect firewood. They have cattle that need pasture. It is inhumane to remove them from this scenario, ”he says.
In Bandigar, a single electricity line runs through the village of about 200 households, most of which do not have a gas cylinder. For its residents, the biggest reason to vote is that the candidate is one of them.
In the Aripal market, meanwhile, another candidate shakes hands and passes his number. PAGD’s Manzoor Ahmad Ganaie also mentions J & K’s “unique identity.” After four years in the BJP, he says he was disenchanted and joined the PDP in 2019. “I want to be the voice of the youth … Questions about restoring J&K as it was before August last year are up to our leaders “. he says.
As soon as the candidates leave the area, a group of young people gather in front of the local bank. Many of them do not know the date of the elections. “The candidates are coming these days, but I don’t even know when the elections are scheduled. Even earlier, the MLAs would arrive before the elections and then they would never look back, ”says Ehsan Ahmed.
With political backing, Ganaie is based in a hotel in Srinagar. But when Poswal’s campaign ends, after covering seven meetings in different areas, he is taken back to the EDI complex. It is 5 in the afternoon and the doors are closing behind him.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
.
