Mudassir Kuloo
Bandipora, Apr 11: While majority of the people, who exercised their votes, hoped for basic amenities, Jana, a woman in her 80s, from Dangarpora in Bandipora district had a personal grievance that compelled her to turn to the polling booth in her village.
Jana said by voting the candidate of her choice, she will get the compensation for 2014 floods, which wasn’t provided to her even after four years of calamity.
“My house got completely damaged in 2014 floods for which I wasn’t provided any compensation. My husband is not keeping well. So through this vote, I hope the candidate will help me in rebuilding my house,” she said.
“I hope he will help me,” Jana said, without disclosing the name of the candidate she voted for.
Mughli, a visually impaired woman, too is in her 80s, was taken to the booth by her daughter at Wanghipora.
Visibly weak to stand in the queue for a long time, Mughli said she believed that voting a candidate to power in Lok Sabha elections “will solve the problems of people”.
“My vote is for the solution to Kashmir problem. I want peace to return to the valley,” Mughli said adding, “How will our problems be solved if we don’t cast our vote?”
For Sondarr, a 70-year-old woman in Hajin, the “insensitivity” by previous regimes had compelled her to cast the vote.
“We live on banks of river Jhelum. My two children earn their livelihood by fishing. We have been neglected so far and need proper rehabilitation,” she said.
