Kaniyari (Bandipora): Even as people were queuing up outside the polling stations across north Kashmir during the final phase of polling today, the village of Kaniyari in Hajin Tehsil of Bandipora district stood in stark contrast. Here the polling station 142, set up to serve 516 registered voters, presented a deserted look, with not a single vote cast.
Just 100 meters from the polling station, a large group of villagers, including elders like former Sarpanch Mohammad Shafi Dar, gathered in protest. They allege that they have been repeatedly “betrayed” by the system and those representing it.
“Our village lacks basic amenities. Look at the condition of the roads here; the villagers had to build it themselves. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), we were promised land for the landless, but despite assurances, no formal land has been allotted,” said Farooq Ahmad Pinzo, a local resident.
Former Sarpanch Mohammad Shafi echoed these grievances, saying, “For the last 60 years, we have voted for various political parties, including ministers and MLAs, but none of them have brought any development to our village. We are still deprived of basic facilities like healthcare, drinking water, education, and electricity.”
He added, “Pregnant women must be transported by boat for two kilometers to reach Sopore for treatment. We even had organized a public meeting for BJP spokesperson and former minister Shahnawaz Hussain but no one provided us relief. Unless the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Bandipora comes and assures us that our issues will be addressed, we will not vote.”
Shafi further mentioned that despite visiting the DC office multiple times, they were always told, “Sahab is in a meeting!”
He also recounted an attempt to meet Ravinder Raina, J&K BJP’s former president, to discuss the village’s struggles, but he was not granted an audience.
In response to the boycott, Additional Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, and Tehsildar Hajin, visited the polling station in an effort to address the situation. However, their presence did not sway the villagers, who remained resolute. The residents insisted they will vote only when the Deputy Commissioner of Bandipora guarantees that their longstanding issues will be resolved.
Repeated appeals to the government for basic amenities and land ownership have gone unheard, prompting the villagers to abstain from voting. They made it clear that their boycott will continue unless their demands are met.
The villagers’ boycott highlights a deep sense of frustration and disillusionment with the promises that are made but then never really fulfilled.
