“Mirwaiz Umar Farooq critiques the ongoing local elections in Indian-administered Kashmir, asserting they won’t resolve the long-standing conflict with Pakistan.
As the big local elections in Indian-controlled Kashmir are getting closer, a well-known rebel leader is saying he’s not sure these polls will really fix the long-standing fight between New Delhi and Islamabad.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who’s been stuck at home for the last five years, pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is calling these elections a “festival of democracy,” but they won’t solve the bigger problems in the area.
In a chat with The Associated Press over the phone, Mirwaiz talked about what’s been going on in Kashmir since the Indian government took back control of the region’s semi-autonomy in 2019.
He was really upset about how the people who are against India’s rule have been silenced, making it hard for any real conversation to happen.
“These elections can’t fix the big Kashmir issue,” he said.
The elections happening right now are seen as a big deal for the area because they’re the first time in ten years that people can vote for a local government and a regional legislature with limited power.
But, a lot of people in the area see this vote as a chance to speak out against the changes made in 2019 that they’re worried might mess up the area’s population.
Mirwaiz mentioned that since the 2019 changes, the people in Kashmir haven’t really been heard, leading to a lot of feeling lost and powerless.
“You might not see the kind of chaos like before, but there’s a strong, hidden pushback,” he said, pointing out that even though they’re being silenced, that doesn’t mean they agree with what’s happening.
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— IdeallyaNews (@IdeallyaNews) September 30, 2024
The sudden changes by India were a big no-no for Kashmir, with many seeing them as a threat to their identity and rights.
The response from the government led to Mirwaiz getting arrested along with thousands of other political activists.
The area has stayed on edge, with a tight grip on freedom and a limited space for the media.
Mirwaiz, who runs the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, which fights for Kashmir’s right to choose its own future, mentioned that even though they’ve been shut down, they’re still standing strong.
India and Pakistan have had a rough history over Kashmir, including three wars over the land.
After their first war in 1947, a U.N. vote to let the people of Kashmir decide if they wanted to join India or Pakistan never happened, leading to ongoing anger and a fight.
With all the complicated issues, local elections in the area have been hit with problems like violence, people being scared to vote, and cheating in the past.
But, this year, the groups fighting for freedom—mostly because they’ve been locked up—have said they’re not going to stop voting, with some even choosing to run on their own.
Even though Mirwaiz is pulling away from the elections, he’s still worried that they’re set up to help Modi’s political goals.
He points out that the government has been doing things to make sure they stay in power and change the voting areas in a way that’s good for places with a lot of Hindus.
He’s still hoping that local political groups can work together to figure out a solution for the Kashmir problem.
He highlighted that people voting is more about getting their frustrations out and asking for basic help with money, not agreeing with New Delhi’s plans.
In the end, Mirwaiz believes that having real talks, with people from all sides, is key to fixing the deep issues that are causing the Kashmir conflict.
But, the fact that there’s a big chance the elections might be rigged makes it hard to trust these results and what Kashmir’s political future will look like.