Periodically, state authorities point to election turnouts as proof of “normalcy” and “consent” in Kashmir. This is a profound political deception that needs to be dismantled with facts.
Voting for municipal services, road repairs, and local administration under heavy military presence is an act of daily survival, not an exercise of political self-determination. To equate a citizen wanting their trash collected or their neighborhood road paved with the surrender of their fundamental rights is disingenuous.
Conversely, those political figures who participate in these setups while claiming to represent the liberation movement must be held accountable. If you enter an administrative system designed to maintain the status quo, do not pretend to be a revolutionary. Be honest with the people about what you can and cannot deliver.