By Tasaduq Hussain
Kupwara has seen massive election rallies with young and old joining the rallies of different parties in the district.
The district has been seen by politicians of all shades as ‘voters inn’ in the northern Kashmir and none of the mainstream political parties have missed a chance to woo the voters to turnout for them.
Nazir Ahmad a resident of Kupwara claimed that he has lived outside the state for long as a shawl seller and the festivity in Kupwara resembles he has witnesseed in mainland India.
“All those scenes of election campaigning I have seen outside the state are visible in kupwara district with scores of youth taking part in political activities, vehicles being used with loudspeakers installed seeking votes for their candidate,” Nazir shared.
Security agencies too have played their role in creating a conducive atmosphere in the district, sources in the grid told INS.
A top Army official told INS that since Kupwara is a frontier district it has large number of infantry battalions and Rashtriya Rifles Battalions deployed to guard the frontier positions.
“Apart from that army units have been set up in civilian population to help civil administration as well as to provide a sense of security to people living here in northern belt,” he said.
He said that Army units are carrying extensive security related tasks to ‘instill the sense of security for elections’ adding that, ‘security forces along with CAPF will deal with any untoward happening’.
“Youth involvement into election campaigning is a good sign since security agencies have successfully managed to eliminate the propaganda of Pakistan provoking youth into other directions,” he said.
The officials in the security grid confided that with the prevailing security scenario its least expected that there would be any militants attacks across Kupwara distirct.
They however do not negate possiblity of minor stone pelting incidents at some sensitive polling boot.
“Security breach apprehensions can’t neglected completely,” an officer in know how of the security appratus in the district said.
Lolab is no different than the other areas of the district. Though the region hit the headlines after a scholar, Manan Bashir Wani, from the area turned militant
Abbas Ahmad, 34, a resident of tekipora said that people are warmly welcoming their mainstream political leaders into their area and conduct public programmes without any threat apprehensions.
According to army sources there is only a single local militant from Dardpora Kralpora who is active.
“He doesn’t have any arms training,” sources claimed.
The north Kashmir will see a cut throat competetion between NC’s Akbar Lone, Er Rashid and PC’s Raja Aejaz Ali.
