Omkar Dattatray
They say well begun is half done and ‘’All is well that ends well .’’Both the old adages fit well with the crucial and historical Assembly elections .But al last the adage of all is well that ends well neutralizes the adage of well begun is half done as the assembly polls ended on a welcome ,positive and encouraging note which shows that democracy has once again triumphed in this part of the country .
The voting percentage eclipsed the voter turnouts of the first two phases of the polls as in the third and last phase of JK polls the voter turnout was more than 68.50 percent which is significant by every standard and surpassed the vote percentage of even the recently held Lok Sabha polls .The significant voter turnout in the third and last phase of elections surprised the poll pundits and they were taken unawares and there is a mood of jubilation and satisfaction not only among the people of the Himalayan region ,but it is a matter of pride for whole country as well because the crown of India which Jammu and Kashmir has overwhelmingly and significantly vote this time and proved beyond doubt that at last democracy triumphed as the people of JK UT have voted for the formation of a democratic ,peoples and popular government which will care for the people and will sincerely work for addressing the mundane issues of the people of Jammu and Kashmir .It is a matter of satisfaction and pride that all the three phases of JK elections passed peacefully and violence free elections is significant because the militancy in Jammu and Kashmir is on its last leg ,but has not died down completely as yet .
It is particularly significant that elections passed on peacefully and not a single life was lost in these elections .The peaceful conduct of polls is a feather in the cap of the election commission of India and on the UT’s electoral administration .It also reflects the faith ,trust and confidence of JK people in the democracy of the country and the unprecedented and larger participation in the elections this time shows the peoples resolve to see democracy thriving in this part of India .The ever larger participation and peaceful culmination of assembly elections symbolize that the by and large people of the UT are for change and democracy .The historical polls which have taken place after a long gap of 10 years and also first since 1887 assembly polls signify a significant change in the attitude of the people and their faith in the resilience of democracy .
This election has been held totally in a free and fair manner since the assembly elections of 1987 and thus the outcome of this election will be based on truth and so the peoples verdict will reflect the true aspirations of the gullible voters of the Jammu and Kashmir .The people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve commendation and pat at their back for the peaceful and successful culminations of the crucial polls because after all it is the people of the UT who participated in the elections in large numbers and also cooperated with the ECI and UT electoral authority to make this democratic exercise successful .The eyes of the international community were set on these elections and the foreign dignitaries have personally watched the conduct of assembly polls and have conveyed their approval of the sanctity of these elections and have praised Indian democracy and its vibrant character .Whichever and whatever government comes to power after the counting of votes on October 8,should build on the mass participation of the voters and try to end militancy and also to attend to address the important issues of the people besides fulfilling the promise made in election manifesto .The potential government which in all certainty will be a coalition arrangement should try to build Naya Jammu and Kashmir and wiped the tears from the eyes of alienate people of J&K, and also try to perform and deliver to the best of its capacity so that people will no longer feel ditched and deceived any more as in the past those elected to power have disregarded the electorate after coming to power .This should not be allowed to happen and continue again in Jammu and Kashmir as the people have voted for change ,development and end of the political vacuum and uncertainty .Those elected to power should come up to the expectations of the people who voted them to power and they should not consider themselves as kings and princes as the monarchy and autocracy has long age ceased and had paved way for democracy .The rulers should realize that people in a democracy are supreme and it is they who can make or mar a government and keeping this in mind that people are the masters and real sovereigns in a democracy should try to satisfy the people who elected them to corridors of power . This crucial election has empowered different sections of the J&K society .For the first time since the independence of the country and electoral democracy ,the West Pakistan Refugees and Valmiki Samaj community have voted and as such a long demand of these communities has been fulfilled and they have said that it is really such emotion which cannot be expressed in words .Similarly people residing very near at the line of actual control and also those living near international border have voted in large numbers .Another significant and noteworthy thing about this poll is that people residing in villages have participated in large numbers in voting as compared to urban people .Besides it has come to fore that people this time have voted for change ,development and for empowering themselves so that the fruits of democracy and development reaches not only to them but to the last man in queue .People of Jammu and Kashmir have rejected violence and gun culture which in fact was alien to their culture and thus ballet has defeated bullet and it is no ordinary thing but is significant feature of the current elections which have just culminated successfully and peacefully .
The fact that in the third and final phase of polls , long queues of voters were seen waiting in front of the polling booths and this is diversion from the past practices in JK elections and this election is significant in more than one way .It is no less than an important political development and change from past practice that in north Kashmir such as Sopore ,Baramulla and Kupwara which were known for poll boycott in the past three decades ,this time witnessed a overwhelming rush of the voters is a significant and positive development .The people of north Kashmir have also voted in big numbers for change and development and employment .
The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election has in fact been a spectacle of what democracy means .The electors of Jammu and Kashmir have broken all previous records as they have registered a significant and unprecedented voter turnout which points towards the fact that the voters have voted in large numbers and vouched and approved democracy and Modi’s policies of developmental politics away from the negative politics of pseudo secularist congress and other such parties .There is significant deepening of democracy in J&K because of this assembly election is opined and observed by Rajiv Kumar chief election commissioner.
The fact is that people ,this time have voted for Naya Jammu and Kashmir and now it is in the court of New Delhi and the new potential government to implement the vision of Naya Jammu and Kashmir and balm the hurt feelings and bruised wounds of the people here .In short it can be appropriately stated that the last and the third phase of JK polls has ended on a happy and positive note and so it can be opined that ’’All is well that ends well .’’This election will be written in golden letters in the electoral history of Jammu and Kashmir .Salute to the sagacious voters of Jammu and Kashmir who have seized the momentous opportunity to vote in large numbers to give themselves a democratic and popular government which will care for the people.
{ The author is a columnist,social & KP activist}
