Elections in Jammu & Kashmir are scheduled for November and December 2008 to elect 87 legislators. There will be seven phases of voting from November 17 over 38 days. The state was ruled by a Congress-PDP coalition till 6 months back, when Governors rule was imposed by Center following fall of coalition government. It is known that it is the armed forces who actually rule over Kashmir.

The state has three regions — the Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Ladakh. The Kashmir Valley, has been under the jackboots of the armed forces right from 1947. There are 6 lakh soldiers of the Indian Army stationed on active duty in the state, one for each man, women and child! For the past 19 years, there has been a popular uprising and the Central state has unleashed unparalleled repression on the people. Tens of thousands of people have been murdered in cold blood, tens of thousands of women have been raped. The demand for end to army rule, for punishment of those guilty of carrying out massacres of innocent people, has united the masses of people.

The economy has been ravaged by the unending civil war. The Central government does not care for the plight of the farmers, or of the women or youth, or the skilled craftsmen. Educated youth are forced to migrate to other states or abroad in search of livelihood. Youth and students are treated as criminals and terrorists within their own country, picked up and tortured and incarcerated at will by the Indian state

The question of Azadi is a central issue in the state. People feel they are treated as aliens and second class citizens, suffering military occupation.  The Indian state, and its major parties like Congress and BJP, have openly declared, in word and deed, that they do not care for the people of Kashmir, and are more interested in colonising their  beautiful and rich land.  The Congress and BJP are considered as parties of occupation. Many peoples organisations have called for boycott of elections. According to them (1) participation in elections means they have to accept the Constitution of India (2) Even if they win elections, they have no power to do what the people want.   

Elections in Kashmir have been forced on an unwilling population. The very fact that elections will be held in 7 phases, with massive deployment of armed forces, reverals how “popular” these election are. In the past elections, only a small minority has participated in votvoting in the valley, with armed forces actually forcing people to vote, and organising open rigging of elections.

The Congress, National Conference, PDP and BJP are the main parties in the fray in the elections. The people of the state are faced with a very difficult situation.. Any elected government in Kashmir has been and will be but a front for continued Army rule in that state.

The pro people political forces in the state need to take a bold stand against state terrorism, for the unity of all the exploited and oppressed peoples, and for their rights, irrespective of religion or region. They have the full support of the working class and people of India, who are their real allies in the struggle against the central bourgeoisie for the reconstitution of India.