And the 2002 elections in Kashmir are widely acknowledged to be free and fair and transparent.
Transparent as the black paper. Who are you trying to fool and joke here? You think you are the only smart one that can use fancy wordings and fool the world into believing your fantasy land indian side of the story? I think not. How free were the elections, we all know. Thats why the person who was elected keeps getting attacked all the time and thats why people of the kashmir on election day held strikes and black-day observations, even on this recent Indian indpendence day, kashmiries observed a black day!
Farce of Elections in Kashmir
Parliament elections in every free, sovereign and democratic country symbolize freedom and fraternity of a nation. They bring change and pride to every civil society, and protect their unfettered liberties with reasonable duties and responsibilities.
But, unfortunately from day one, when the Sub Continent become independent, Kashmir elections continue to be controversial, and disputed like the political dispute of Kashmir. India’s Independence or her Republican declaration could never give even an iota of credibility to any election process or any such Assembly in J&K during the last 50 years.
Read the rest here:
SOURCE
Remember what great indian army did in 1987 election?
Constituents of Hurriyat, e.g. Jamaat, had in fact participated in 1987 elections, but they faced worst repression at the hands of security forces. Gradually the situation worsened and ultimately with the appointment of Jagmohan, militancy picked up. In the subsequent years, Kashmir was virtually turned into an 'occupied territory' and sentiment in favour of 'azadi' rose high, militant leaders gained popularity; Yaseen Malik ranking first, Shabbir Shah second, and then Geelani and Lone. Farooq's graph, on the other hand, nose-dived. But their apprehension that state assembly elections would be conducted in the manner in which parliamentary polls were conducted in Kashmir is by and large not unfounded. 'Forces will come and coerce people to polling booths', they say. And true to their apprehensions, extra troops have already started pouring in from different parts of the country for it. However, it will simply be a failure on the part of the government if Hurriyat remains out of the fray.
Link
Here are your "widely acknowledged" elections in the eyes of international community and media:
The Indian Election farce in Kashmir
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
India decided to hold elections for 6 Lok Sabha seats in Indian-held Kashmir in three phases soon after the general elections in India. The first round of voting was held in Ladakh and Jammu on 7th May 1996, in Baramula and Anantnag on 23rd May 1996 and in Srinagar and Udhampur on 30th May 1996.
It is reported that during the election campaign, 5 to 6 people died and many were injured in demonstrations and violence in the valley.
India demonstrated her ill motives by holding elections against the wishes of the people of Jammu & Kashmir who are protesting at the illegal occupation of their homeland by India. The exercise showed the extremes to which India went to hold fraudulent elections. It was common to see election candidates campaigning amongst people who were forced to listen with bayonets pointed at them. During the election the people were herded to polling stations to cast their votes at gunpoint.
The news media has reported extensively on this election sham
Soldiers herd Kashmiris to polls May 23, 1996
BARAMULA, India (CNN) -- Soldiers roused many villagers and townspeople from their homes soon after dawn Thursday to vote in the first elections in seven years in the predominantly Muslim Jammu-Kashmir state.
===========================
From: Khalid Sofi, 23 May 96
No voting has been reported in most of the Baramulla and Anantnag districts going for polls today.
Indian forces have forced men and women out in Pulwama and Sopore towns early in the morning to cast their votes. They were threatened with death, if they do not come out, every house in these areas was than occupied by a Indian troop. Any young person between the age of 18-28 has been taken to unidentified place in these areas.
=========================
By ARTHUR MAX Associated Press Writer, 23 May 1996
BARAMULA, India (AP) -- With a dawn knock on doors, armed Indian troops herded Kashmiris to polling stations Thursday for an election intended to bring democracy back to the rebellious territory after seven years.
==========================
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The "Democratic Voting" in Indian Kashmir was a farce. By Erhard Haubold
Srinagar, 23 May. The soldiers came at five in the morning, fetched the people out of their houses, kicked in doors and announced over the loudspeakers of the mosques, that there are "free elections today, but he who doesn't attend will have to bear the consequences". Consequences? The ink stain on the index finger, which only washes off after one week, is unmistakable evidence. He who cannot produce this at a traffic check or at one of the many house searches, is threatened with a thrashing, with torture or something even worse. Even before the election day, the soldiers threatened, "We'll chop off their hands, or their heads as well". It was also said,"if you don't vote, we'll burn your house down".
=========================
The Washington Times,May 24
"Kashmiris forcibly taken to polls in India. Soldiers act to thwart separatist boycott" by Arthur Max.
"Armed troops herded Kashmiris to the polls yesterday (May23) for the rebellious state's first elections in seven years. Combating a boycott called by separatist leaders, soldiers roused villagers and towns people from their homes soon after dawn and escorted them to polling stations to elect members to the Parliament in New Delhi".
=========================
The Washington Post, May 24
"Troops Force Kashmiris to vote" by Kenneth J. Cooper.
"Besides providing valuable intelligence to security forces, the former insurgents have continued violent activities here with impunity because of government sponsorship". "The central government has a long history of manipulating elections and hand-picking leaders in Kashmir, where democracy has been the least realized in India. Journalists who observed today's voting in the two Kashmir Valley districts saw widespread evidence of security officers forcing residents to the polls and, in some cases, pressing them to vote for former Muslim militants. Some villagers said security forces began making threats more than a weak ago".
===========================
Dogens Nyheter , Swedish newspaper of 24 May reports
"Last Thursday (May 23) people went to the polling booths in Kashmir, but the election to the Indian parliament was followed by protests and there were also accusations that Indian soldiers had forced reluctant people from Kashmir to vote. In several towns in Kashmir, where the Muslim insurrection has been going on for the last seven years, Indian soldiers were, according to the police, using truncheons, tear gas and warning shots to end all the protests against the election".
=============================
The Guardian- Soldiers force Kashmir to polls
Beaten and herded like cattle, Kashmiris were driven from their homes at daybreak yesterday to cast their votes for the first time in seven years, in an exercise stripped of any pretence of choice or freedom. In village after village in Anantnag and Baramula, where voting for two of four parliamentary seats took place yesterday, the Indian army made little attempt to conceal its coercive campaign to ensure a high turnout.
================================
The Times of India of 24 May, Sabina Indeijit
People came on their own and voted, and in large numbers, was the State Government's statement, while the refrain among -the -Kashmiris was "we were threatened, taken out of our homes and forced by the army to vote". The write-up further states, "the day began with an overcast sky and a light drizzle. At 7 a.m. no person in civilian clothes could be seen on the street of the State capital. The first halt was a check point where
================================
The Statesman of 24 May , Aunohita Mojumdar's
"In a poll process that was neither free nor fair, but a successfully completed electoral exercise by the government, the Kashmir Valley underwent the first phase of elections after seven years. People were herded out of villages throughout the Valley., to ensure a voter turnout of 43% in Anantnag and 35% in Baramulla.
"However, though the Government achieved its goal of holding elections in the Valley, the voters, claiming they had been brought to the polling booths forcibly, remained alienated from the democratic process".
==================================
By JOHN F. BURNS New York Times.May 24, 1996
Indian Troops Used in Kashmir, to Force Muslims to Vote
BARAMULLA, Kashmir -- Indian troops moved into villages and urban neighborhoods across the Vale of Kashmir at dawn on Thursday, rousing Muslims from their beds to vote in the first election to be held in the only Indian state with a Muslim majority since a Muslim separatist rebellion began in 1989. By holding voting for the six seats in Parliament allotted to Kashmir, the Indian government aimed to show that a large fighting force has beaten back the insurgency.
======================================
THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.... you can continue to brag but truth and reality speak otherwise. International community is much much smarter than your
(admin - unnecessary and inapppropriate comment edited out) like tactics to say a lie and then keep repeating in hopes that people will believe. In this day and age, lies have their way of coming out and liars will be shamed, only if you admit it.
FULL LIST OF FAILED elections in kashmir reports can be looked at here:
http://www.ummah.org.uk/kashmir/reports/election.htm
ADD this to the list as well:
http://www.kashmiri-cc.ca/quarterly/kq2-3/SHAMELEC.htm
