Abid Bashir
Srinagar, Sep 25: A 15-member foreign delegation made a surprise landing in Kashmir on a day when the second phase of the polling is in full swing for 26 Assembly constituencies of the UT. The diplomats stated that their purpose is to “observe polling and to see how democracy is working on ground.”
The high-level delegation comprises senior diplomats from USA, Mexico, Guyana, South Korea, Somalia, Panama, Singapore, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, Norway, Tanzania, Rwanda, Algeria, and Philippines. This is for the first time that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has invited foreign diplomats in the middle of J&K Assembly polls taking place after a decade.
At Chinarbagh polling station of Lal Chowk Assembly constituency, a female delegate Alice Chain from Singapore, said they are in Kashmir on the invitation of MEA’s public outreach program. “Our purpose is to observe polling and to see how democracy is working on the ground,” she said. “This is not my first visit to Kashmir but yes, my first visit to observe elections here. It’s a lot more festive here than the polling in Singapore. The government buildings are being used for easy access to the voters.”
She said it was not easy for them to visit the polling stations as foreigners but they are just doing it.
Another female diplomat said that she was in Srinagar for the first time. “Our purpose is to meet and talk to the people of this big diverse country. Elections are important,” she said.
A male member of the delegation said that they are making rounds across Srinagar and he was surprised to see Pink Polling station. “This is the first time I have seen something called a Pink Polling station. Maybe this would be to attract more people to vote. I have never seen a pink polling station,” he said. “I am very happy to be here and to be part of the observations as to how democracy is working.”
Earlier, the delegates visited Budgam polling station to gauge mood. This is for the first time that the foreign diplomats were invited by the Centre at a time when polling is taking place in J&K. However, this is not the first that foreign delegation has visited Kashmir. After the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, a 15-member foreign delegation visited Srinagar on January 9, 2020 to meet political leaders. After that, foreign delegation also landed in Srinagar as part of the first ever Tourism Working Group event of G-20 held at SKICC on the banks of Dal lake in May 2023. The delegates also visited the renovated Polo View market for shopping and interaction with the locals.
