First Kashmiri pandit woman wins panchayat polls in Valley

[ejazr]

First Kashmiri pandit woman wins panchayat polls in Valley - The Times of India

KUNZER: Aisha Jee is the first Kashmiri pandit lady to win panchayat polls as Panch in Muslim-dominated Wussan village in Kunzer block on Srinagar-Gulmarg road. With four pandit families left in this village, Aisha defeated her lone rival Sarwa Begum by 11 votes in 7th phase of polling on Sunday.

Aisha Jee decided to stay back home when every one belonging to her community thought it proper to leave the valley in the wake of militancy in every nook and corner of Kashmir. Living with her husband Radha Krishan and two sons at Wussan , Aisha said: "Muslim brethren of the village voted for me and I will try to come up to their expectations provided state government delegates powers to panchyats under 74 amendment to constitution."

"My victory should send a clear message to the migrant Kashmiri pandits living in exile in other parts of the country that there is no threat of life for them in kashmir now," Aisha Jee said.

59 year old Aisha Jee was encouraged to fight elections by Abdul Hamid Wani, numberdard of the village. "Wani encouraged me to stand up for the panchayat elections so that I could help get development to our block," Aisha jee said.

Aisha's elder son Suresh Kumar is a constable in Jammu and Kashmir police while the younger one is helping his father Radha Krishan at his grocery shop in the village. Radha Kishan said she is an energetic woman and would definitely help the village to develop in terms of roads, water and electricity.

 

[anoop_mig25]

well congratulations to her and best of luck

 

[ganesh177]

Congos to her.

Very encouraging news. Its about time pandits take there rightful places in kashmir.

 

[Singh]

"My victory should send a clear message to the migrant Kashmiri pandits living in exile in other parts of the country that there is threat of life for them in kashmir now," Aisha Jee said."

Is that a misprint ??????????

 

[ganesh177]

Is that a misprint ??????????

Yes and its now corrected in original article.

"My victory should send a clear message to the migrant kashmiri pandits living in exile in other parts of the country that there is no threat to their lives in Kashmir now," Aasha said.

 

[Blackwater]

Any woman or burka woman elected in gulam kashmir so far ?????

 

[ejazr]

Any woman or burka woman elected in gulam kashmir so far ?????

Not sure what you mean by that. Is it too hard to appreciate a positive news item?

In any case, there is 33% reservation for women in J&K panchayat polls. So about a 1/3 of those elected are women - burka wearing or otherwise who cares.

 

[ejazr]

Video also available on the link below

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/j...lims-vote-for-kashmiri-pandit-woman-104795?cp

Srinagar: In an incredible story of hope from the Kashmir Valley, a Kashmiri Pandit woman won the Panchayat elections in Wusan, a village in North Kashmir where 98% voters are Muslims.

45-year-old Asha's victory is particularly significant as this is the first time in 33 years that a Kashmiri Pandit has been elected to a Panchayat in the Valley.

''Muslims supported me. My Muslim contender lost. A Pandit woman has won,'' she says.

The villagers in Wusan are a happy lot.

"We can give our blood for her," says Halima, a resident of Wusan Village. Another one adds, "Muslims voted for her and she won with a good margin."

Asha's is among the five families that weathered the worst of the Pandit-Muslim strife in the 90s but did not join the mass exodus. Her win, Asha says, is a vindication for Pandits who chose to stay back .

''All Pandits should come back. First, I am asking my neighbours to return. I have shown you how well our Muslim brethren are treating us. Look at what they have done for me. My opponent was their Muslim sister,'' she says, appealing Pandits to return to the Valley," she says.

Asha's name translates into hope and her victory sends a larger message that the centuries-old bond between Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits is still alive.

 

[ejazr]

First Kashmiri Pandit woman wins panchayat polls in J-K

In a first for Kashmir, a 52-year-old Kashmiri Pandit housewife has been voted as a panch by a predominantly Muslim village -- and says she wants all members of her community displaced due to militancy to return to their homes in the Valley.

Wussan, a small village on way to the famous Gulmarg tourist resort, has come into spotlight after it voted for Asha Ji, the lone Kashmiri Pandit candidate for the post of Panch, against her opponent, a member of the Muslim community which forms nearly 90 per cent of the electorate in her constituency.

Abdul Hamid Wani, a neighbour, says while there was no deliberate intention of making a statement through Asha's election, it should remind people that "humanity is still the best virtue".

"Other consideration like religion and region should be subservient to it," he says.

An estimated two lakh Kashmiri Pandits fled the Valley after outbreak of militancy in late 1980s. Wussan village, which had 10 Kashmiri Pandit families before militancy erupted, has only five left now but Asha, a mother of two who came from Doda in Jammu region after she married Radha Krishan in 1984, says she never felt like an outsider

"In fact, the relations between the two communities are so strong in our area that we never felt the need to migrate out of the Valley," she says.

"Our Muslim brethren assured us that we were as secure as they are and they will take on any problem coming our way," she says.

Asked if she felt scared in view of militant threats to people contesting panchayat elections, Asha said she was a firm believer in destiny.

"Life and death is in the hands of God and a person dies only once.

"If I die for truth and on the right path, I will have no regrets," she says.

Asha says she was never inclined to get into electoral politics but the local leaders egged her on to contest the polls.

"A lot of people came to me asking me to contest the polls.

"Initially, I was little nervous but I decided to contest after more support poured in," she says.

Out of 98 votes polled in her constituency, Asha got 54 votes while her opponent Sarwah Begum got 43. One vote was rejected.

"We have lived like a family all these years in this village and I have never felt different from other people.

"The people have reposed trust in me and now it is my turn to serve them," Asha says.

The jubilation is evident on the faces of her neighbours.

"We supported her because we felt she can serve the area better. We will continue to support her in her endeavour to serve people," Halima, who campaigned for Asha, says.

And the gritty Asha's message to the community-- "We would want all Pandits to return to Kashmir... not to the camps or colonies set up by the government but the places which they called home."

 

[The Messiah]

Good news.

Im sure terrorists are pakiis are not pleased to read this news.

 

[Blackwater]

Not sure what you mean by that. Is it too hard to appreciate a positive news item?

In any case, there is 33% reservation for women in J&K panchayat polls. So about a 1/3 of those elected are women - burka wearing or otherwise who cares.

Gulam kashmir is POK.