The results of the assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir once again demonstrate how the lofty claims of “insaniyat jamhuriyat kashmiriyat” die a miserable death when it comes to the rights of the Kashmiri Pandits and the Hindu minority community of the valley. In an attempt to secure the repatriation and rehabilitation of their fellow community members, who number in the range of three lakh, thirteen Kashmiri Pandits had submitted nominations to run for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly from the valley.
As expected, despite repeated statements of “religious harmony and brotherhood,” from both Kashmiri politics and the populace, nobody supported them or their cause, and as a result, all of them lost their deposits in the polls.
Out of the 13 Kashmiri Pandits, a record six submitted their nominations for the assembly segment which went to the polls in the second round of elections on 25th September. Santosh Labroo ran as a candidate for the All Alliance Democratic Party, Sanjay Saraf for the Lok Jan Shakti Party, Ashok Kumar Bhat for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Nanaji Dembi of Sampoorna Bharat Kranti Party. Ashok Shaib and Ashok Raina fought as Independents.
“As many as six candidates from the KP community have filed their nomination papers in Habba Kadal. Of them, four have filed under recognised political parties, while two have filed as Independents,” an election department official informed before the voting.
Saraf, who contested the seat twice already, stated that his goal was to ensure that the community that has been dispersed throughout the nation returns to the valley. He also aimed to bridge the divide between communities. “If I am elected as an MLA, I will work to ensure the return of KPs to the valley with respect, dignity, and security. This includes carving out places for them here. We should be ambassadors of peace,” he voiced. Saraf ran from his home constituency of Anantnag.
The candidates who ran for the Shangus-Anantnag seat were Vir Ji Saraf of the BJP, Maharaj Krishan Yogi of the Apni Party and Independent Dilip Kumar Pandita. There were 13 contenders from the segment in the overall contest. Yogi is a former leader of the National Conference and the president of the influential Martand temple committee. He declared, “I will ensure that KPs are brought back through a return and rehabilitation policy. BJP did marketing and sold their pain but did nothing in the past 15 years.”
Other Kashmiri Pandits in the contest were Rakesh Handoo from the Zadibal constituency in Srinagar, Dr Sanjay Parva from the Beerwah seat in Budgam, and Ramesh Wagnoo, an Independent, from Pampore. As candidates for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Republican Party of India (Athawale), Daisy Raina and Arun Kumar Raina were running from Rajpora in the Pulwama district.
Daisy Raina arrived in Kashmir five years ago and began serving as a Sarpanch in South Kashmir after being elected. The candidate stated, “I have worked hard for the past five years as a Sarpanch. Because of my work, the youths are on my side. I am sure that I will win the election. I want to create an environment where Kashmiri Pandits can move freely to any place without any fear.”
Following their unsuccessful attempts to win the Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla and Anantnag, Arun Kumar Raina and Dilip Kumar Pandita made the decision to run for the assembly from Shangus-Anantnag and Rajpora in Pulwama district.
The number of Kashmiri Pandit candidates has fluctuated in past elections, previously peaking at 12 in 2008. The community’s continuing efforts to address its long-standing challenges and obtain political representation are reflected in their electoral participation in the valley. However, it seems that there is a long way and numerous hurdles before they can actually be in a position to deliver on their promises.
The assembly election result which was announced on 8th October showed an impressive performance of the National Conference and Congress alliance as they secured over fifty seats while BJP managed to win around 27 seats. Meanwhile, the saffron party managed to pull a stunning victory in Haryana, where the election results were also announced on the same day, defying all the opinion and exit polls. BJP is poised to establish the government for the third consecutive term.
