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A group of diplomats from 16 foreign missions, including the United States, Spain and Australia will arrive in Srinagar today to observe the voting in the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. The 20-member delegation includes four representatives from the Ministry of External Affairs.
This is the first time that the central government has invited foreign diplomats to witness the election process in the Union Territory. According to sources, the aim is to showcase the “peaceful conduct of the electoral process” and “participation of people at a large scale”.
Constituencies in the Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal districts will vote on Wednesday, and sources said “this phase is the most feasible” for foreign observers. The delegation will likely skip Jammu and only travel in the Budgam and Srinagar districts.
A delegation from the US mission in India had also visited Kashmir in the last week of August. Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs Graham Mayer and First Secretary Gary Applegarth were among those who came to the Valley at the time and met former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah and J&K Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone. Representatives from several G20 countries had also participated in a tourism roundtable held in Srinagar during last year’s G20 conference.
The one-day visit by foreign diplomats comes at a time when J&K is voting in its first assembly elections after the abrogation of its special status, and the erstwhile state’s bifurcation into two Union Territories.
National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah told The Indian Express, “It’s strange that the government always talks about J&K being an internal matter for India and discourages other countries from commenting, but is now organising guided tours to witness elections. If diplomats can be brought on guided jaunts, why have all foreign journalists – including those with OCI cards – had their requests for permission to cover the elections turned down?”
PDP spokesperson Waheed Para said, “On one hand, the government says we don’t want any interference from outside and no international attention on Kashmir, and on the other, they hold G20 and showcase people’s participation as their own success story. Our mobilisation in elections is purely driven by people and credited to locals. The government’s claims over our participation is akin to selling people’s urge for representation as their own achievement.”
Chief spokesperson of the J&K BJP, Sunil Sethi, welcomed the visit of delegates and said, “Why should we be opposed to someone desirous of visiting Jammu and Kashmir to see for themselves the festival of democracy being celebrated in a free, fair and transparent manner? We are only opposed to outside interference of any kind.”
Meanwhile, in a post online, the Srinagar Police wrote on Tuesday night, “Apropos to social media assertion by certain quarters that thousands of people are lying in the jails, it is stated that few mischievous elements with past conduct and proclivity of disrupting electoral process and having criminal antecedents are being dealt and bound down under preventive sections of the law. The sections provide law enforcement agencies security for keeping peace and good behaviour. Legal measures duly reported are adhered to ensure free and fair electoral process.”
