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| India-Pakistan |
| 18 dead in Kashmir elections... |
| 2002-10-01 |
| Eighteen people died in the bloodiest polling day yet in Indian Kashmir as a third round of elections were held in the troubled state. Elections are what delegitimizes gunnies. Can't have that... Gunmen killed eight people on a bus on Tuesday, and six troops died when their vehicle ran over a land mine, believed to be planted by Islamic militants. Two militants, a political activist and an Indian soldier died in separate incidents. India has blamed Pakistan for the surge in violence which has killed more than 600 since the polls were called on August 2. Islamabad denies encouraging the militancy and says it gives only moral support to the Kashmiri "freedom struggle." They said, piously... Despite the violence, India's independent election commission said turnout was 41 percent, slightly lower than the 47 percent and 42 percent recorded in the first two rounds. Turnout was swelled by heavy voting in Hindu-dominated areas in the south of the state, while in the separatist heartland to the north, as few as 25 percent voted. That's because they didn't want to get killed. Without the gunnies, they could have voted against whomever, thereby voicing their legitimate aspirations to do whatever it is they want to do. India sees the election, which ends on October 8, as a means of enhancing the legitimacy of its rule in its only Muslim-majority state and has hailed the good turnout as a victory of the bullet over the ballot. Holding a plebiscite would be a better idea... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |