Hafsa (00:00.581) Hi everyone, welcome to Kashmir Exist Weekly broadcast. We have Teyshi with us today. She's going to answer some questions. My name is Hafsa and she will get with us through Kashmir elections. Hi Teyshi, how are you? Teyshi (00:17.552) Hey Hafsa, thanks so much for co-hosting this podcast with me. I think today we'll both learn something about Kashmir elections. This is a very little known topic. Hafsa (00:29.527) Yeah, so should we jump straight to the question? All right, so when was the first election held in Kashmir valley after India gained independence in 1947? Teyshi (00:32.35) Let's get straight to the first question, Hafsa sir. Teyshi (00:43.693) Great question. The first elections in Kashmir Valley were held in 1951 following the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India. These were elections to the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir, which was tasked with framing the state's constitution. So yes, 1947 was partitioned and when Kashmir was occupied by India or acceded to India, it wasn't then until, you know, another four years. Hafsa (00:49.7) Mm-hmm. Teyshi (01:11.82) when the first election took place. Hafsa (01:14.417) That's nice to know. So why was the 1951 Kashmir election controversial? Teyshi (01:21.544) Mm-hmm. Now in 1951, that that particular election, you know, caused controversy because the National Conference party led by Sheikh Abdullah, who happens to be, think, like, I don't know whether it was like the father or great granddad of the present Omar Abdullah, well, he won all 75 seats unopposed. Now this, you know, led to accusations and allegations of unfair practices. and the exclusion of political opponents led to questions about the fairness of the election. So there were already, at that point, with him having a landslide victory, an outright victory, there were accusations of unfair play. And since that time, because the Abdullahs have been the political sort of elite family in the region, there is even to this day feeling that they dominate the political space and this... Hafsa (02:14.449) is even to this. Teyshi (02:19.19) to this day causes controversy. Hafsa (02:22.386) I see so is he still on on the seat basically yeah Teyshi (02:26.284) Well, Omar Abdullah is, so I don't know whether he's like his grandson or something, but yeah, the Abdulahs have a strong sort of hold on the political scene in Kashmir Valley. Like a dynasty of politicians. Hafsa (02:38.382) Wow. Hafsa (02:42.159) I would say like the king in UK, King Charles. Teyshi (02:46.9) Well, I mean, it's the equivalent of, let me have a think, you know, if you think of the George Bush and his son then came to also as president, it's like, you know, I think the word is dynastic. I might have made that up, but yeah, there's certainly a famous dynasty and known for holding positions of authority. Yeah. Hafsa (02:59.855) Mm-hmm. Hafsa (03:09.475) Yeah, wow. Okay, so what was the significance of the 1977 election in Jammu and Kashmir? Teyshi (03:20.726) So in that particular year, the election is seen as the first truly competitive and relatively free election in J &K. It marked a return to electoral politics in that region. Now this was after years of political instability and saw Sheikh Abdullah return to power with a significant mandate. So yeah, this does seem to have been a little bit more of a fairer election. That's why it's notable. Hafsa (03:47.554) Fair elections? What does that mean? Teyshi (03:49.964) It means that, you know, previously they were accused of, you know, sort of corrupt practices of when, when, Sheikh Abdullah won all 75 seats, people were a little bit suspicious, but this in 1977, you know, it did, have a different outlook on it. People saw it as a really competitive election, probably because he had good opponents to run against. So yeah, people felt that it was fairer. Hafsa (03:56.676) Hmm. Hafsa (04:03.633) Yeah. Hafsa (04:15.023) Okay Hafsa (04:19.953) okay. And how did the insurgency in Kashmir during the 1980s and 1990s impact the elections? Teyshi (04:31.5) this was the time in the late 80s when all the kind of conflict started in the valley. Now, you know, the so-called insurgency led to a highly volatile and dangerous environment, especially in Kashmir Valley, with increased militancy and calls for independence. This resulted in low voter turnout, heightened security and accusations of electoral manipulation, especially in 1987 elections. which are widely seen as a trigger for the rise in militancy. Hafsa (05:21.009) What was the effect of the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 on Jamu and Kashmir elections? Teyshi (05:35.436) So obviously, as spoken before in previous podcasts, the abrogation of Article 370 was massive for that region. It's basically something that the people in the region probably thought was never going to happen because abrogating Article 370 meant India stripping Kashmir Valley's semi-autonomy from us. That's unthinkable to people of the Valley. So this was a huge, huge event. And it had a massive impact on people, both mentally, physically, people in the diaspora. You know, it was a seismic, can't be underestimated event. what that really meant for that time period is that it led to Jammu and Kashmir losing its special autonomous status and being reorganized into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and then Ladakh separately. Hafsa (06:29.68) you Teyshi (06:32.916) Elections for a new legislative assembly in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir were anticipated, but by 2024, full-scale legislative assembly elections had not yet taken place. So actually, the impact basically was that when they abrogated Article 317-2019, what it meant is that it delayed the election process, which obviously plays into the hand of India because they're not really keen for the people of the valley to really vote and have their say. Hafsa (06:33.265) Elections for a new legislative assembly in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir were anticipated but by 2024 full-scale legislative assembly elections had not yet taken place. So actually the impact basically was that when they abrogated article 317-2019 what it meant is that it delayed the election process. Teyshi (07:02.764) So if you imagine, were actually, you know, wasn't for five years that Kashmir went without any elections, which is kind of unbelievable. But if we go back to the other question where since partition of 1947, they didn't get to vote till four years later. So here we're seeing a repeat in more modern times of, you know, another situation being put upon the Kashmiri valleys to do with their own. Hafsa (07:15.184) the other question where. Hafsa (07:28.369) being put upon the Kashmiri valleys to do with their own autonomy, self autonomy. Teyshi (07:31.908) autonomy, self-autonomy and their own governance by outside factors, by outside players. And what the result you see in both times is that it delays elections, which is people's right to vote, that every citizen has a right to express their views and feelings. And these were obviously another impact of these... Hafsa (07:40.069) Mm-hmm. Hafsa (07:49.12) citizen has a right to express their views and feelings. Hafsa (07:56.41) side. Teyshi (07:59.479) circumstances being put upon the Kashmiri people that they didn't want is that again on top of that for four or five years respectively they had the chance to make their feelings known but you know in voting they had that taken away from them for four or five years respectively so this is a bit of a pattern that we're seeing. Hafsa (08:19.634) I see. Does that mean that India is deciding for Kashmir? Teyshi (08:25.859) They are in as much as, know, Kashmir was given to India to look after and then these are all things out of Kashmiri people's control and then obviously they don't get to vote for a few years. This is all something that the people of the valley have to endure. And yet again, 2019, that was done by the Indian government. So it's completely something that was pushed upon by the Indian valley. mean, India don't have the right. Hafsa (08:38.234) Mm-hmm. Teyshi (08:52.013) to remove our special status. They've never owned us. We've never been part of them. So how they, as a different nation, get to remove our autonomy, albeit limited, is actually confusing. It doesn't make any sense. They don't really have any legal or moral right to do so, but they did it. And then further than that, the other knock-on effect is the people in the valley, the long-suffering people in the valley, still were not able to vote for another five years. It's outrageous, actually, when you think about it. Hafsa (09:05.424) Yeah. Hafsa (09:15.888) Mm-hmm. Hafsa (09:19.598) It is, yeah. Very devastating for people in Kashmir, yeah, because they don't get to decide who controls Kashmir. okay. Thank you for answering that. We're just going to jump on some other questions. What was the significant about the 20... We did that already, yeah? Teyshi (09:42.381) Yeah. Hafsa (09:46.464) Okay, so which party won the most seats and how did they affect the political landscape? Teyshi (09:54.573) Well, the Jemun Kusmin National Conference Party, also known as the JKNC under Omar Abdullah, which is Sheikh Abdullah's son, might be. I need to check that actually. So under Omar Abdullah's leadership emerged as the leading party. The JKNC partnered with the India Bloc, an opposition alliance that also includes the Congress Party. Hafsa (10:01.925) Mm-hmm. Teyshi (10:20.131) Together they secured a majority with 48 seats out of 90, making a shift away from BJP influence and reflecting local support for a more autonomous approach to governance. Hafsa (10:20.56) together. Teyshi (10:35.875) So what that basically means Hafsa is that these people joined up and what they're trying to do, this will probably come on to the next question as well, they're trying to push for Kashmir to get back some control from India, from central government. Hafsa (10:51.024) okay. So last time it was 77 seats. You mentioned that, Teyshi (10:56.611) When the first elections happened, it was like 75 seats. So you can see here that there was a total of 90 seats and a majority of 48 seats were secured. Hafsa (11:00.386) Okay. Hafsa (11:05.7) Mm-hmm. Hafsa (11:12.119) Okay. What were the main issue addressed by Omar Abdullah during this campaign? Teyshi (11:19.661) Yeah, and sort of just as I alluded to before, know, Abdullah's campaign really focused on restoring Jammu and Kashmir's statehood and autonomy, which had been stripped in 2019. He argued that the return of statehood was critical for Kashmir's identity and self-governance. His stance resonated with many residents who felt sidelined under the central government's administration. So this was a way for people to be heard finally, that they were not happy with what India did. Hafsa (11:27.718) Mm. Hafsa (11:37.092) his stance resonated. Hafsa (11:43.089) So this was a way for people to be heard. Teyshi (11:48.301) that they were outraged and disgusted that India had, through illegitimate means, stripped the statehood with no discussion with Kashmiris. It's just basically, they've done that, it's them saying, we're going to occupy you now. That's basically what it So obviously, Kashmiris had the chance to vote on it. And it was a big blow to the BJP because it's literally people in the valley saying is, we don't want this. Hafsa (11:51.261) that India had through illegitimate means stripped the state of. with Kashmiris it's basically when they've done that it's them saying we're going to occupy you now. That's basically what it So obviously Kashmiris had the chance to vote on it and it was a big blow to the BJP because it's literally people in valley saying is we don't want this, we're not happy with what you've done. Teyshi (12:16.951) We're not happy with what you've done. So although, know, Modi is running around telling everyone who will listen, you know, both domestically and internationally that this is great for Kashmir, that, you know, this is what the people want. Now we see what the people want and they're not happy. They didn't want this. They didn't agree to it. Furthermore, one of the other things that he said was that they were going to bring great prosperity to Kashmir. Actually, what we've seen since 2019. Hafsa (12:24.295) both domestically and internationally, that this is great for Kashmir, Hafsa (12:37.173) Furthermore, one of the other things that you said was that they were going to bring great prosperity to Kashmir, actually what we've seen since 2019, because you claimed that by taking away Kashmir's autonomy, that it would make the region more prosperous. Actually what we've seen is Kashmir Valley since... Teyshi (12:45.347) because he claimed that, you know, by taking away Kashmir's autonomy, that it would make the region more prosperous. Actually, what we've seen is Kashmir Valley since the abrogation of Article 370 has indeed got poorer. That's what's actually happened. But yeah, that's an important question that needs to be answered. So yeah, those are all the factors there. Hafsa (13:07.28) So Omar Abdullah is different from the Sheikh Teyshi (13:15.307) Yeah, he's like his son or his grandson. Like I said, it's a whole family. It's a whole dynasty. It runs in the family basically. Yeah, they are related exactly. But I will say that Omar Abdullah is half English and he's half Kashmiri. Hafsa (13:18.156) Okay okay so they just take Hafsa (13:28.017) I see, okay. How did the other political groups fare in the election? Teyshi (13:32.034) Yeah. Teyshi (13:38.307) Well, BJP, which had held the power in the central administration of JNK since 2019, so obviously because they delayed the elections because of 2019, by default, the BJP, is the leading India, had been put in place to rule over Jammu and Kashmir by default. Hafsa (13:47.384) Mm-hmm. Teyshi (14:06.03) But now that the elections came along, what they found is that the BJP administration in J &K forced, you know, they faced significant setbacks in these elections. It was an embarrassment for them. But to be fair, it was expected. People in the valley were never going to vote for BJP. BJP are a Hindu nationalist party. They believe they're a far right Hindutva party, which means Hafsa (14:11.801) administration. Hafsa (14:16.08) faced. Hafsa (14:19.586) embarrassment for them but to be fair it's Hafsa (14:25.904) Mm-hmm. Hafsa (14:30.636) I see. Teyshi (14:35.108) that they're Hindu extremists. So majority of people in the Valley are Muslim. They were never going to vote BJP, especially after the BJP government had stripped away its autonomy. A normal person wouldn't vote for their oppressor. So that's what we saw is that they faced a significant setback. But some of the other points to note is that other Kashmir based parties with BJP ties like Hafsa (14:40.718) Mm-hmm. Hafsa (14:58.525) Some of the other points to note is that other Kashmir based parties with BJP ties like Teyshi (15:03.054) the People's Conference and the API party also failed to gain significant support. This outcome highlighted local resistance to BJP policies and marked a victory for traditional Kashmiri parties like the JKNC, which is a national conference party, you know, presided over by Omar Abdullah and the Congress party. So, you know, this is quite important. These are quite significant. Hafsa (15:08.058) gain significant support. Hafsa (15:18.992) which is a national... Teyshi (15:31.438) the Kashmiri people's way of having finally having their say after being silenced for so long. Hafsa (15:38.773) I see. they JK that they are Kashmir parties is that? Teyshi (15:43.694) Yeah, Jemun-Kishmere National Conference. Hafsa (15:46.742) Okay, okay, so and then BJP, that's the Hindu party. Teyshi (15:50.776) Yeah, that's the Hindutva. It's led by Modi and this was the regional one in the valley that had been looking after the region. Hafsa (15:57.093) Mm-hmm. Okay, what are the next steps for Omar Abdullah's administration? Teyshi (16:06.938) So Abdullah's administration has vowed to continue pushing for full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir. This includes advocating for the restoration of regional autonomy and working to address local concerns around governance, economic development and security. He has also called for cooperation from the central government to address these issues comprehensively. Now they did pass a motion recently in the Jammu and Kashmir parliament to hold talks. with BJP about reversing the abrogation of Article 370, which means that reversing what India did in 2019, in other words, bringing autonomy back. Now this was only a motion about having talks with BJP, not about reversing it, because obviously they don't have the power because BJP are the ruling party. But this was just about having talks with them. The whole assembly interrupted from the, erupted rather, So the whole assembly erupted from the BJP side. The BJP politicians over there went absolutely crazy. They started screaming and shouting, tearing up the pieces of paper with the motion and the resolution on it and throwing it as if to say, this is rubbish, we don't accept it. And not only that, they were fighting with the other politicians there. There was a lot of manhandling going on, were tables and chairs. Hafsa (17:11.857) They started screaming and shouting, tearing up pieces of paper. Hafsa (17:20.932) We don't accept. Hafsa (17:28.689) There's a lot of manhandling going on. Teyshi (17:32.248) was seen to have been thrown and even broken. It was a full on afraid in that political building. Yeah. And this was just because Omar Abdullah, they dared to pass the resolution to say they to have talks with BJP about reversing, you know, removal of the autonomy. And they reacted so violently just to the idea that people want to talk about it. This is a really strong indication of this. party being not a democracy, it doesn't hold democratic values, it wants to suppress people's voices and choices, right? It doesn't want to allow Kashmiri people to be free. Essentially, that's what they're They're saying no to a conversation. They're saying there's no conversation. That's a dictatorship. So we can see that as a dictatorial mindset and by their reaction, that's what we're seeing. Hafsa (18:10.244) Hmm. Hafsa (18:21.977) Yeah. Teyshi (18:28.26) So it puts it into really plain and clear sort of language and vision of what is going on, of what has happened. People cannot be in any doubt of what the BJP party are about with these types of behaviour. Hafsa (18:43.894) wow, it's outrageous definitely. Teyshi (18:47.544) especially when they claim to be a democracy. They are not a democracy, they're clearly dictators. Hafsa (18:49.978) Mm-hmm. Hafsa (18:53.529) Yeah, and there's nothing that Kashmir Valley can do, the parties for Kashmir parties, they cannot do. Teyshi (19:02.311) We're under siege by not only the army, but that's how the government rules us, by force and by terror. Hafsa (19:10.266) Wow, that is so terrible. Teyshi (19:13.964) It's the life of the Kashmiri. But I believe you have one more question for me Hafsa. Hafsa (19:18.584) Yeah, that is how did the public and political figure react to the elections results? Teyshi (19:26.116) So, you know, as you would expect that, you the public was really happy with this and it was largely positive that they felt they were finally being heard and they got to vote out the BJP out of the valley, which is amazing. I mean, I'm just over the moon about that. Now, many did see Abdullah's victory as a step forward to reclaiming regional self-governance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Abdullah, indicating some willingness for dialogue, although differences remain. Hafsa (19:30.48) Mm-hmm. Teyshi (19:56.024) Opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi expressed support while emphasizing the ongoing fight for full statehood. So this is quite interesting because this is Modi pretending to care. This is Modi pretending to say that he's willing for dialogue. Clearly he's not willing for dialogue. Like I just mentioned previously, Omar Abdullah cleared a resolution through the Jammu and Kashmir parliament to have talks with BJP and the BJP erupted with violence. Hafsa (20:07.069) This is Modi pretending to say... Hafsa (20:17.328) them. Teyshi (20:26.02) The politicians in that particular government building reacted with actual violence and aggression. So you can see again, this is the two-faced nature that on the public surface, Modi will be polite. This is what colonizers do, by the way. They cover up their crimes with polite faces and polite veneers. But the reality is that no. Hafsa (20:44.464) Mmm. Hafsa (20:51.216) Mm. Teyshi (20:54.329) You know, we know the reality is something totally different, but it's good to see, you know, even the opposition leaders like from the Congress party, like Rahul Gandhi, really wanting to fight for Kashmir statehood. That is good. That at least is something. really gives a way to this idea that if we can get the BJP out of office, Hafsa (21:17.264) this idea that if we can get the BJP out of office sometime in the future. Teyshi (21:22.468) some time in the future. It's unlikely because India's completely brainwashed. The people of India are completely brainwashed by Bollywood and other propaganda that BJP effectively, you know, have managed to get people on side. But it shows that if we could get at least even Congress party led by Rahul Gandhi in power, although they're not amazingly brilliant, they are not the BJP and even the Congress party want Kashmir to have its own statehood. That is what it's needed on a national level. Now, you know, this whole election is viewed as a critical step toward restoring political representation and local governance in Kashmir, reflecting the broader desire for return to statehood and a democratic control in the region. So yeah, we, we know we, we live to fight another day. I think once we are able to open. Hafsa (22:14.17) Mm-hmm. Teyshi (22:17.612) India's eyes in some form. They can vote out Modi. I only see that happening a couple of ways. Either he does something terrible in his tenure that is, you know, his next four years that makes the people turn against him or that lies are revealed and people see that, you know, he is, the people understand what the cruelty is and the injustice or the only other thing that I can imagine happening to throw him out of power. Hafsa (22:20.431) Mm-hmm. Hafsa (22:24.528) see that happen in a couple of ways. Hafsa (22:32.873) against him or that lies are revealed. Hafsa (22:40.752) and the injustice, or the only other thing that I can imagine happening to throw him out. Teyshi (22:46.722) is if the world, you know, talks about what's happening in India and the people of India actually feel some level of self-awareness and shame, which I have to say that they don't generally. Indians are quite ignorant to what their, you know, own government is doing. When you think that the BJP party, you know, because they're Hindutva, it not only means that they're very, sort of, Hafsa (22:57.997) Yeah Teyshi (23:15.76) oppressing Muslims, they're really oppressing anyone who's not Hindu. So that includes Sikhs, which there's obviously a lot of Sikhs in India, and people of other religions. They're trying to make India completely Hindu or make Indians feel like you have to agree to be Hindu or else, really. And that's really the agenda of the BJP party. Now, that is basically a fascism. Hafsa (23:24.14) and people of other religions. just are there. Hafsa (23:31.019) Indians feel like... Hafsa (23:38.65) really the agenda. Teyshi (23:44.394) And it's a supremacist point as well. Now for me, I feel like if it's a combination of India feeling shamed on the international stage, because the only reason BJP have got away with it is because they've been polite and people haven't been able to see what they're really doing in the light of day. So if they're shamed on the international stage, that might work. If Modi somehow messes up and creates a disaster for India somehow. Hafsa (23:57.036) stage. The only reason BJP have got away with it is because they've been polite and people haven't been able see what they're Hafsa (24:05.136) So if they're shamed on the international stage, that might work. Hafsa (24:12.97) somehow and people see him as the first to blame. Teyshi (24:13.72) and people see him as the person to blame, he might then get voted out. Those are really only the ways that I can see it happening other than India waking up and understanding that what's being done to Kashmir is an injustice, which is unlikely, but they would be the only ways. But yeah, that was all the questions today, Hafsa. It's been really great to discuss it with you. Hafsa (24:24.209) understanding that what's being done to Fishmere is an injustice, which is unlikely, but they would be the only way. Yeah that was a lot to take in. I hope everyone is learning about Kashmir Valley. Thank you so much for joining us Taishi and for sharing these insights. Thank you everyone who tuned in and if you find this episode interesting don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more discussion. Take care and we'll see you next time. Teyshi (25:01.398) so much. Bye everyone. Bye officer. Bye bye. Hafsa (25:01.402) you much. Bye everyone. Bye.