For the first time in three decades, Kashmiri pandit woman to contest J&K assembly polls
- In Reports
- 08:50 PM, Sep 06, 2024
- Myind Staff
In a historic moment for Jammu and Kashmir's elections, a Kashmiri Pandit woman will be running for the Assembly for the first time in thirty years. Daisy Raina, a former employee of a private company in Delhi and the current sarpanch of Frisal village in Pulwama, is the sole candidate from the Republican Party of India (Athawale), which is aligned with the BJP under the NDA alliance.
Ms. Raina, who is competing for the Rajpora Assembly constituency in Pulwama, is one of only nine women running in the J&K elections. She decided to enter the political arena at the urging of local youth, who wanted her to represent their interests.
Ms. Raina explained to the media, "The youth urged me to run for office and make sure their voices are heard in the J&K Assembly. While serving as a sarpanch, I frequently meet with young people, listened to their concerns, and tried to understand their issues. Our youth have suffered greatly despite their innocence. Those born in Jammu and Kashmir in the 1990s have known only violence."
Ramdas Athawale had recently visited the Union Territory and advocated for the restoration of statehood. When asked if this visit influenced her decision to run for the Assembly elections, Ms. Raina clarified that it did not.
"I had not even considered running for office until the young people urged me to become chief minister for a day, believing I could address the issues in Pulwama," she said.
Pulwama has faced numerous challenges, including being a hotspot for terrorism and the site of the 2019 attack that claimed the lives of 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel. In response to whether she thought Pulwama had a negative reputation, Ms. Raina, a leader of the Republican Party of India (Athawale), stated, "I don't believe so. Work is progressing well, and everything is getting done. If there are issues, we are addressing them ourselves."
Ms. Raina highlighted that despite the low number of people from her community in the region, she faced no significant difficulties. She explained, "When I first came to work here, I moved around Pulwama without any security. I did not have personal security officers (PSOs), unlike some others. I worked here for years and even established a Shivling in Pulwama. Muslims encouraged me to do this because, after constructing a Wazukhana (ablution pond) and carrying out other initiatives for them, they felt it was important for me to also address the needs of the Hindu community to avoid any resentment." Ms. Raina, who previously worked in New Delhi, was elected unopposed as a sarpanch in 2020.
Jammu and Kashmir is set to hold its first election in nearly a decade, marking its first since becoming a Union Territory following the revocation of its special status under Article 370 in 2019. Voting for the Union Territory's 90 seats will occur in three phases between September 18 and October 1, with the results to be counted on October 8.
Image source: Mint
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