Lone separatist votes in J&K

It took 20 long years for a separatist leader to walk into a polling booth, cast his vote and swear by Indian democracy.

Sajjad Gani Lone, 42, had boycotted polls since the onset of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in 1989. But on Wednesday, he walked into a polling booth  in Handwara and pushed the button on an EVM. 

Lone is not just contesting against mainstream politicians, he’s also challenging the writ of pro-boycott separatists. The man, however, justified his decision as a change of strategy that would carry his voice to Parliament, the seat of power.

“People have accepted the fact that I’ve merely changed my strategy, not my idealogy. I am not here to lie to the people or distribute ration cards. My motive is to take up the Kashmir issue in Parliament and facilitate its resolution,” said Lone.

The tired-looking Lone started from home on foot to reach to the polling booth at the government school here. All along the way, he shook hands with people, trying to evoke the charm of his late father Abdul Gani Lone. “It’s been a tough month. I have been campaigning 18 hours a day. Let us see what happens,” he said. Lone is pitted against the stalwarts in Baramulla. National Conference has fielded veteran Sarif-ud-din Shariq while PDP has given a ticket to Dilawar Mir.

Lone, chairman of the People’s Conference, is contesting as an independent and has been assigned a table as election symbol. The official symbol, Lion, was frozen because his party has stayed away from polls for 22 years.

“I entered the fray because I wanted to prove my representative character. Separatists have their own stand and I have mine. I thought the elections are a way to take my struggle forward,” he said.

The former separatist has not started a new innings in democracy all alone. His mother, Hafiza Begum, came out to vote for her son.  “I have told Sajjad to work for the resolution of the Kashmir issue and make it heard in places it has failed to reach,” she said.

Her elder son, Bilal, heads another faction of the People’s Conference that is part of the Hurriyat. Bilal has boycotted the polls. Her daughter contested from Kupwara during the assembly polls but did not win.