What Kashmir and Jharkhand need to know before they vote
Asssembly elections for Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand began on 25 November 2014. Both the states have geared up for elections which will be held in five phases, with results being declared on 23rd December, 2014.
Both Kashmir and Jharkhand have been plagued with their fair share of issues.
For Jharkhand, problems with regards to electricity, water, education, health, roads, unemployment etc. dominate the state’s agenda. The candidate that wins has to take these issues seriously and find meaningful and concrete solutions for the state.
In Kashmir, self-rule or autonomy, separatism, militancy, presence of security forces, disappearances of several people in the state, violence as well as electricity, unemployment, development, education etc. are issues that need immediate attention. The state is still reeling under the aftereffects of the horrific flood that recently hit Kashmir. The winning candidate has to take stock of the situation and restore peace and normalcy to the beautiful Himalayan state.
As both the states gear up and go to polls, we bring to you some insights on the Assembly Election 2014.
Association for Democratic Reforms(ADR) has released a detailed report on the criminal, financial, educational and other details of candidates contesting the assembly election.
The first phase of the election was held on November 25, 2014. The next phase will be held on the 2nd of December, 2014.
Here is the roundup of details from both phase 1 and 2 of assembly elections.
Phase 1 & 2 Assembly elections Kashmir & Jharkhand
As we can see quite a huge number of candidates contesting have declared criminal cases against them. It also includes candidates ‘Serious Criminal Cases’ which include crimes related to murder, attempt to murder, rape, communal disharmony, kidnapping, crimes against women etc.
The number of female candidates contesting is also astonishingly low.
The demographics of the candidates contesting give us an idea of the kind of the politics and the culture that is normalised, and even accepted today; not just in these two states, but all over India.
Crimes against Women
Both the states also have a poor record when it comes to women and children. We pulled out the latest figures from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) (2012 figures) to see what the crimes against women are.
Jharkhand has a total of 4536 crimes committed against women. In Kashmir, 3328 crimes have been committed against women.
They include rape, kidnapping and abduction, dowry deaths, cruelty by husband or his relatives etc.
Crimes against Children
Jharkhand has a total of 113 cases of crimes against children, whereas Jammu and Kashmir has a total of 40 cases recorded.
They include infanticide, murder, rape, kidnapping and abduction, foeticide, procuration of a minor girl, abandonment, buying or selling girls for prostitution etc.
Please note that these are just reported cases, when the actual numbers are always much higher.
Are you voting in the Assembly Elections 2014?
Are you one of the voters who’s voting in the Assembly Election? What is your opinion on the current state of affairs in your state? How do you think we can ensure candidates that are honest, reliable and have a clean background? Would you like more women to contest from your state?
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