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Vote-counting begins in battle-wrecked Kashmir
National Conference wins 6 seats
October 1, 1996
Web posted at: 12:40 p.m. EDT (1640 GMT)From Correspondent Anita Pratap
JAMMU AND KASHMIR (CNN) -- The moderate National Conference party held a lead Tuesday in local assembly elections in the troubled Jammu and Kashmir state in northern India, where a separatist insurgency has claimed more than 20,000 lives since 1989.
The first handful of results indicated the National Conference had won six seats in Srinagar, the state's summer capital. The month-long polling concluded Monday.
Regardless of the final outcome, it will take a dynamic administration, coming out of Jammu and Kashmir's first elections in nearly a decade, to get the region back on its feet.
Massive toll
Nature has been kind to the mountainous state -- but the same cannot be said of mankind. The deadly battles between the state's Muslim-majority separatists and India's Hindu-majority government have taken a massive toll not only in lives, but also property and infrastructure.
The infrastructure, said Ashok Kumar, the state's chief secretary, is a "shambles."
But rebel commander Syed Rafiqul Islam said some sacrifices are necessary for the greater good.
Thousands of houses, schools, offices and bridges have been burned down, either by Indian troops or Kashmiri rebels. The rebellion appears to have pushed Kashmir back in time. The roads are in terrible condition; virtually no repair work has been done during the long years of violence.
Few basic amenities
While India was struggling to hold onto Kashmir, many say the government ignored sanitation and other basic amenities. Power supply systems are dilapidated. The people count themselves lucky if they get electricity for two days.
Telephone lines are down everywhere; most rural areas are virtually cut off from the world. And ever since the rebellion took root, development has taken a back seat in Kashmir.
"We had to divert considerable resources from planning and development to security related matters," Kumar said.
In Kashmir, the presence of the Indian army is overwhelming -- and the absence of civil amenities is equally overwhelming.
If the polls restore normalcy to the region, as hoped, Indian Prime Minster H.D. Deve Gowde has promised to pitch in with a package to strengthen the state's infrastructure, including roads, railway lines and electricity.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Kashmiri election turnout solid, despite rebel efforts - September 7, 1996
- Kashmiris fight each other for freedom as election begins - September 6, 1996
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