A 15-member delegation of foreign diplomats took everybody by surprise at a polling station at Central Kashmir’s Budgam on Wednesday. The diplomats stated that their purpose is to “observe polling and to see how democracy is working on ground.”
The high-level delegation comprises senior diplomats from the USA, Mexico, Spain, South Africa, Norway, South Korea, Panama, Singapore, Algeria, Philippines, Somalia, Guyana, Nigeria, Tanzania and Rwanda.
The members of the delegation said that they have come to Kashmir on the invitation of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Government of India as part of the outreach program.The delegation took a stroll at a Budgam polling station and interacted with the polling staff there.
They expressed satisfaction over the conduct of polls, with some of them saying the process looks comparable to how it happens in their own countries.
Jammu and Kashmir is voting in the second phase of assembly elections in which 26 seats in six districts are going to polls.e.
The US deputy Chief of the Mission in Delhi Jorgan K Andrews said the voting process looked healthy and democratic.
“It is great to see the enthusiasm; it’s great to see Kashmiris out voting after a pause for 10 years. We are very excited to see the results. It looks very healthy and very democratic,” Andrews said.
The US diplomat said the process here was similar to how it happens in his country.
“It is very comparable. In my country, we use schools as well for voting. So it looks very similar,” he added.
South Korea diplomat Sang Woo Lim liked the idea of Pink polling station, an initiative of the Election Commission of India where polling stations are managed by all-female staff.
“It is my first time here in Kashmir. I am happy to be here as a part of the MEA delegation. I see it is a beautiful place and people are very nice. It is special to witness how democracy works. This idea of a pink polling station is very ingenuous. It is a great way to attract more people to come to vote,” Lim added.
Singapore deputy head of the mission in Delhi Cheng Wei Wei Alice said it was wonderful to be part of the delegation observing the polls here.
“I am glad that all the voters showed up. That’s wonderful to see. The process is very similar to how we conduct elections in Singapore. We use government buildings for polling stations so that it is easily accessible to voters,” she said.
Alice said the delegates were “very thankful to the MEA for organising this trip and allowing us to visit the polling stations”.
This is for the first time that the foreign diplomats were invited by the Centre at a time when polling is taking place in J&K. However, this is not the first that foreign delegation has visited Kashmir. After the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, a 15-member foreign delegation visited Srinagar on January 9, 2020 to meet political leaders. After that, foreign delegation also landed in Srinagar as part of the first ever Tourism Working Group event of G-20 held at SKICC on the banks of Dal lake in May 2023. The delegates also visited the renovated Polo View market for shopping and interaction with the locals.
