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Bandipore youth fighting polls from Tihar jail

Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR: Even as the recent uprising has cast a shadow over participation of people in electoral process, a youth from north Kashmir district, Bandipore, an undertrial, is fighting the elections while being behind bars a thousand miles away in Tihar in Delhi. His five orphaned sisters are his campaigners.

Mohammad Iqbal Jan, a businessman from Sonarwani village in Bandipore is contesting election on National Panther’s Party (NPP) ticket. Jan was arrested on charges for working as conduit for militants by the Delhi police on November 16, 2006. The nomination papers have been submitted before the Returning Officer and these were sent to Tihar for necessary requirements to be completed by the candidate.

NPP chief Bhim Singh facilitated the filing of nomination as the candidates had given an affidavit to that effect. Returning Officer for Bandipore constituency Ali Mohammad Dar confirmed that his office had received the nomination. “It will now face the scrutiny under rules,” he said.

His family strongly refutes the charges against him and says that he was innocent. “We knocked at every door for his release but without any result,” said his sister adding that officials in the State governments did not help him to get out and in “Delhi it is very difficult for a Kashmiri to get heard.”

Jan has five young sisters and their father has passed away. “He is the only bread winner of our family and no one understands that” said one of them. All the five are working hard for their brother and say that eradication of corruption and fight against injustice is their plank for the campaign they are going to take for their brother. “We will work for the innocent prisoners who are languishing in jails just for their innocence” they said. Jan is the first Kashmiri to fight elections while being in Jail.

Mr. Bhim Singh echoes the family views and says that 90 per cent of Kashmiris were innocent as no charges have been proved. He criticised the Centre for entering into negotiations with politicians like that of Hurriyat leaders, who did not believe in Indian constitution and undermine it. “But there are people rather youth like Jan who have faith in it and fight elections even from jail,” he said.

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