Why opposition to inclusion of non-locals in J&K's voting list is against democracy

Now, any Indian citizen, including non-locals living or working in Jammu and Kashmir, can enlist their names on the voting list and cast a vote in the assembly and local body elections in the union territory.

Jammu and Kashmir's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Hirdesh Kumar's announcement to allow non-locals to register themselves in the voting list of the upcoming J&K Assembly elections shows the government today is fully determined to make the right to franchise broad-based in the truest spirit of democracy in the region.

Now, true to the spirit of our Republic and its territorial unity and integrity, any Indian citizen, including non-locals living or working in Jammu and Kashmir, can enlist their names on the voting list and cast a vote in the assembly and local body elections in the union territory. Even armed forces personnel posted in peace stations of J&K can get their names added to the voters' list.

Observers say the broadening of franchise has been possible due to the abrogation of Article 370. Earlier, many people -marginalised groups, West Pakistani refugees and Dalits, in particular -were not allowed to vote in J&K Assembly elections. With the abrogation of Article 370, there is no requirement for a Permanent Resident Certificate or domicile certificate of Jammu and Kashmir to become a voter.

It is unfortunate that some regional politicians, including National Conference chief and former J&K chief minister Farooq Abdullah and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, are opposed to the 'Registration of New Voters in J&K'. They are alleging this amounts to the inclusion of 'non-locals' in the region's electoral process. It is nothing but a ploy to disenfranchise the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre has invented this route to import such voters in the new list as would enable it to win the upcoming Assembly elections. There would now be about 20-25 lakh new voters added to the electoral list and it would include even those who have no connection with J&K.

Such allegations are absolutely baseless. No Indian citizen, who lives in a particular region, can be denied a share in its political process of governance. Doing so would be antithetical to the morality of democracy. Besides, the established procedure in the country goes that Election Commission officials would check all documents before adding any new names to the voters' list in Jammu and Kashmir. For a person to enrol himself/herself on the voter list, he or she should be ordinarily residing in the Union Territory. Only those who are 'ordinarily residing' in the UT can get themselves enrolled. Any Indian citizen can have only one place of ordinary residence in the country.

(Jagdish N. Singh is a senior journalist based in New Delhi. He is also Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Gatestone Institute, New York)

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