Kashmir – the land of Chinars, the land of Sufism. The hideous militancy that has engulfed the valley hides the once thriving culture and long line of history that was prevalent in the beautiful valley. Kashmir is even believed to have been mentioned in the Mahabharata.

Kashmir Polls Pics

However, now it is once again witness to the modern day Mahabharata we know as elections. The poll season brings up all kinds of sights in modern India including rallies, clashing supporters and what not.

Just a couple of months ago, an election would have been unthinkable in the valley, it was beset by people chanting azadi and gleefully rubbishing the Indian flag. It had lead many to wonder if the Kashmiri people would ever take part in something like a democratic elections, and when the separatists too began chanting a boycott elections slogan, nobody thought that the common man in the valley would defy the prevailing force in the valley to take part in an election exercise being touted as being orchestrated by the ‘occupying Indian state’.

So it must have been with some trepidation that India watched as the state of Jammu and Kashmir set for a seven phase election, there must have been murmurs about a rejection of elections by the people just to spite India etc. But all of that changed once the first phase of polls started.

Perhaps, India shouldn’t have been worried so much after all, if Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti’s election rallies are anything to go by, the ordinary Kashmir is still ready to make his or her voice heard through the ballot box too. After all, guns can make a noise, but the ballot actually speaks for the people.

... contd.