Wooing voters in the ‘boycott capital’
A place that had been seething with anger for three decades over the political situation of the State, the campus of Kashmir University is now bustling with campaigns to draw rst-time voters to polling booths. The School of Law, this week, organised expert-driven lectures under the title ‘Your Vote, Your Voice: Empowering Democracy’.
“India is a young country as the majority of its population comprises youth who play a crucial role in nation building. Young men and women should participate in the electoral process. This is an opportunity to lead the nation towards achieving its goals of development and healthy governance,” Prof. Mohammad Hussain, Dean and Head of the Law department, told the participants.
Ms. Kotwal said the EC has lined up similar programmes in 16 major colleges of Srinagar “to raise awareness about elections”. Henna art competitions were held among female — mostly rst-time — voters, in volatile pockets of Srinagar.
Expanded reach
The EC’s exercise is not limited to the Srinagar seat. It also plans a street show in Teetwal in the Baramulla constituency, a point near the Line of Control, where the residents of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir can easily watch the show. Earlier, a sele point was set up on the slopes of Aarwat in Gulmarg, just 11 km away from the LoC. “A sele point and a mock polling booth inside an igloo on the Afarwat slopes were meant to raise awareness among locals as well as tourists,” Ms. Kotwal said.
“We organised rafting on the Lidder river in Pahalgam. All participants were carrying placards asking people to come out and vote. In the famous Betab Valley, pony-wallas were roped in to raise awareness. People are eagerly waiting to cast their vote,” Ms. Kotwal said.