By: Shahid Ul Islam
Politicians in the valley have often proven themselves contrary to the image that they draw when in election season. But soon after the voting is over and people give mandate to some of them, they take a U-Turn and gradually forget their promises leaving the masses high and dry.
This cycle of deceit has seen many people losing faith in electoral politics while our institutions and establishments continue to suffer unabated negligence. Be it education system, businesses or jobs, people of Kashmir are witness to a gradual downfall in all sectors.
It has become a tradition that during election campaigns our leaders would make sure to visit the villages and homes, travel extensively and organize meetings and Jalsa’s promising people better days ahead. However, once elections are over, they the ways are forgotten, people are banished and the promises packaged and parceled only to be opened once again in the next elections.
This kind of behavior has become the order of the day in the political affairs of Kashmir and ends up making the region as a dumping ground and a graveyard of unfulfilled promises.
There is high level of unemployment in Kashmir and yet the politicians do not appear serious when it comes to devising strategies to tackle the issue. The education sector, businesses as well as agricultural sector is also in a state of stagnation and there are no efficient policies for interventions.
Nevertheless, other states in India have come a long way as far as development, education and jobs are concerned. The politicians have fulfilled their pledges and delivered on their promises. But in Kashmir, politicians continue to engage in the traditional, redundant frame of mind and have miserably failed to deliver their promises causing anger, frustration and hopelessness.
While people don’t have much of a choice, the pulse, this time around, seems different as people expect result oriented political processes. This time, the people of Kashmir must vote with a clear idea and install only those into power who can steer the region into a new future. This is the reason why we need to vote and vote right, choose people who would care for the development of our nation and generations to come.
We should support candidates who have vision, desire to work for our future, who will go to any length to solve our problems, and who will make sure that our region progresses. Let us elect leaders that will deserve our trust in being part of a developing region.
It therefore becomes the duty and responsibility of every individual and the future generations to let our votes count. It is not the time to come up with regrettable conclusions, by making the same mistakes we did before. Let us vote in support of change.
The writer is a law student.
