Despite opposition parties decrying revoking of Article 370, a certain section of the population, which had not been eligible to vote earlier, will now be able to exercise its franchise in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls.
Refugees from West Pakistan will be voting in the assembly elections, marking a significant shift in the political discourse of the region.
Many regional parties promised in their manifestoes to restore Articles 370 and 35A should they come to power – as these define who the residents of J&K are and also preserve their land and job rights – but things have changed.
The J&K election marks a number of firsts – It’s taking place for the first time since Article 370 was revoked by the Centre on August 5, 2019, the first time since the state was divided into two Union territories, and also the first time when Western Pakistani refugees are being allowed to vote.
There are around 5,700 Hindu families in the UT, most from Dalit or Scheduled Caste backgrounds who were never allowed to vote because of Article 370.
These Hindu families originally were refugees who fled West Pakistan; during the India-Pakistan Partition to save their lives.
They have lived here for generations since 1947, and with Article 370 no longer in existence, a unique scenario has emerged where the Centre has allowed them to participate in mainstream politics.
As per reports, these refugees, many of whom came from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) will cast their votes on October 1.
A large majority lives in 39 slums near Jammu.
Most of the refugees from Sialkot have settled in Kathua, RS Pura areas, and Jammu main.
They will participate in the final phase of voting, an opportunity made possible by their new permanent residency status following the removal of Article 370's special provisions.
Two Assembly seats have been reserved for Pakistani refugees. Additionally, the Central government has allocated two seats for migrants in the J&K Assembly, where it will nominate members.
Labhu Ram, president of the West Pakistan Refugee Action Committee, told reporters that "the day of voting will be “Like a festival for us. On this historic day, we will distribute laddoos (sweets) to celebrate the voting day.”
Garu Bhatti, president of the Valmiki Samaj Sabha, shared his excitement about the election announcement, calling it a “joyous moment.”
The Valmiki Community, which came to Jammu in 1957, had been denied all its rights even though it continues to contribute to society. Most of them were engaged in sanitisation work and had no legal rights until the abrogation of Article 370.
“Now we will finally have a chance to elect representatives who can address our daily issues,” Bhatti said and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for granting their long-awaited rights.
The ongoing assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are being held after a ten-year-long gap. Phase II of the polls is due on September 25, while polling for the last phase will be held on October 1. The results will be announced on October 8.
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