Suhail Khan
Sopore, Dec 01 : Donning a black pheran- a winter cloak, a young boy in his 20’s waited for his turn to cast his first vote during the second phase of District Development Council (DDC) election at Brath village of north Kashmir’s Sopore town here on Tuesday.
The first vote for change, development, peace and prosperity of the area led him to wait for his turn on the foggy and cold weather outside a polling booth in Brath Kalan village of Sopore.
For him and youth like him, the DDC elections are a ray of hope for the new beginning and for the new Kashmir, for which they are coming forward to cast their vote. They have high hopes with the elections.
Wishing anonymity the young boy told Kashmir Despatch, “I am casting my vote for the first time and the reason behind it is that I want to see development and happiness in Zaingeer area of Sopore. We don’t have basic facilities in our area despite politicians and government officials promising the same. Now, I want to see my area on a developmental radar with good roads, a water facility, and other basic amenities. “
He said that from last 7 years the area has been ignored on a developmental scale and they have been facing so many difficulties as there was no development at any level.
“This time around we are expecting development through DDC elections and I want to tell people that don’t look at the elections as any political process but as a developmental process where people can get benefitted to a maximum,” he added.
The voters who Tuesday casted their votes in Sopore region of North Kashmir said that people are voting in this Zainageer belt only to see change on the ground as no one wants to be a victim of violence.
The Zainageer area of Sopore has witnessed sporadic militancy activities past several years with locals facing the brunt at the developmental level.
