SRINAGAR: Over 60 people were injured in clashes between stone throwing mobs and police in several areas in Srinagar and Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir state as strike was observed in the Kashmir valley on Friday.

Militants and Security Forces exchanged fire at Chota Bazar area in the Srinagar city. However no ‘one was injured in the firing, reports said, reports PTI.

The Lok Sabha elections in the Kashmir Valley which registered a meager polling and was held amidst a total bandh called by the secessionist outfits, incidents of violence and snatching of poll material and suspension of poll in several places was virtually a nonevent for the general public.

The chief secretary, Mr. Moosa Raba who had evaded a statement on the percentage of voting due to “no availability” of complete information on November 22 has come out with “initial figures” after two days. The figures 5.3 per cent for Baramulla and 4.5 percent Anantnag have confirmed the reports of this newspaper and independent observers.

At polling booths in both Baramulla and Anantnag constituencies, no queues of voters could be seen. At most of the booths, pol ling agents even of the ruling National Conference were absent.

Two employees were arrested in Pattan for refusing to do poll duty. Residents alleged that Class IV employees were manning a number of booths as officials did not tum up. However officials denied this.

According to official reports themselves no vote was polled in several booths. No voting was recorded in the booths of Shan Dangpora in Shilwar Pattan constituency even at 1 p.m.

In Anantnag only a few dozen votes were polled till noon. Mr. P.L Handoo, the Revenue Minister and the NC candidate was the first person to vote in Anantnag.

In Anantnag the second big town in the valley and in other centres like Barumulla, Sopore and Shopian the polling was only around 1 percent.

To encourage voters a video cassette recorder and a television were displayed at Anantnag with a announcement that anybody who voted could take them as rewards but no one turned up. At another place a coffin was displayed with a written warning that “this would be the re ward for those who voted.”

However, there were “islands of election activity” too. In Chandhara the historic village of Habha Khatoon. Kashmir’s legendary poetess, 800 voters, out of a total of 1245 had exercised their franchise by 4 pm.

The poll agent of the National Conference was present indicating some poll activity. A few villagers sat outside the booth, shops were open and life was normal in the village. However, no voter could be seen exercising his franchise.

In Pamore 215 votes out of 958 were polled by 3:30 pm. The pol ling officers said that a number of women had alsovoted both in the Pampore and the Chandhara booths.

As the “finale” to the boycott earlier lights were put off in most of the localities of Anantnag, Baramulla, Srinagar and other towns.

Militants also posted the Jam muand Kashmir Liberation Front, flag at the National Conference office. The reports added.

Some miscreants damaged a police vehicle at Rainawari, fired some rounds in the air at Chota Bazar and hurled three petrol bombs on a police party. However, no one was injured the reports said.

Police lobbed teargas shells and fired in the air to chase away a mob trying to set afire a gas station in Baramulla. The fire was extinguished immediately while one police officer received injuries.

A bridge at Nagam on the Baramulla Handwara road and a shop at Tourpora in Handwara were gutted Thursday.

Meanwhile Chief Secretary Moosa Raza said the government was taking adequate measures for maintaining law and order in the valley to ensure free and fair elections.

Militants groups have given a call for three days Bandh from Nov 22 advised people not to come out of their houses and boycott polls.

Article extracted from this publication >>  December 1, 1989