SRINAGAR: Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) will hold its first regional legislative elections in a decade starting next month, following India’s 2019 revocation of the region’s semiautonomous status. The Hindu-extremist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi stripped the IIOJK of its semiautonomous status in 2019 and suspended democracy in the region. The election is seen as a step toward restoring self-governance in the Occupied Kashmir, though concerns remain regarding the federal government influencing the outcome. The election follows a Supreme Court ruling that upheld the revocation but mandated the restoration of a democratically elected government and statehood.
According to the United Nations and UNSC resolutions, IIOJK is a disputed region and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) has endured decades of political unrest and insecurity. Iltija Mufti, a leader of the People’s Democratic Party emphasized the importance of the election for restoring Kashmiris’ fundamental rights, despite deep concerns of an unfair playing field. Iltija Mufti expressed serious doubts over Hindu-extremist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that New Delhi would attempt to tilt the playing field toward its blue-eyed candidates to ignore the real candidates. Since the 2019 revocation, Kashmir has experienced increased unrest, with significant military clashes and a heavy Indian government crackdown. The New York Times reported that to quell street protests and public anger, the Indian government took unhuman actions including shut down communication systems, deployed tens of thousands of forces to the region as well as jailed thousands of people, including political leaders, human rights activists and ordinary civilians. According to the New York Times, the region has been plunged into fresh chaos.Election results are expected on October 4, with over 8.7 million eligible voters, amid growing pressure on the New Delhi due to escalating militancy in the region.
Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, a former legislator in IIOJK told New York Times that the increasing insurgency and killings of Indian soldiers had put pressure on Indian government, leaving it with no other choice but to announce the polls. The New York Times cited him as saying, “We know it will be a less powerful assembly.”
