Long Denied Voting Rights, Valmiki Community Votes For First Time In J&K Polls

The members of the Valmiki community cast their votes in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections for the first time on Tuesday after long being denied voting rights. The Valmikis were brought from Punjab’s Gurdaspur to J&K in 1957 for sanitation work by the state government.

The members of the community expressed their happiness over their right to vote terming it as a “historic moment.” 

“I am a first-time voter at the age of 45, in my lifetime. We are thrilled and filled with enthusiasm to participate in J-K’s assembly elections for the first time. It is like a big festival for us,” Gharu Bhati told PTI in Jammu after casting his vote. 

He has led the efforts for over 15 years to secure citizenship rights for his community. We have voters as old as 80 and as young as 18. Two generations before us were denied this right, but justice prevailed when Article 370 was abrogated, granting us citizenship of J-K,” he said. 

“It feels like a caged bird has been set free. Our community had no voting rights for the last 70 years. Valmiki community was kept away from the voting process,” Bhati added. 

Besides Valmikis, refugees from West Pakistan and the Gurkha communities also exercised their franchise for the first time. The three communities comprise around 1.5 lakh people and reside in various parts of the Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts, particularly in border areas.

As many as 12,000 members of the community residing in Gandhi Nagar and Dogra Hall areas were deprived of voting rights education, job opportunities, and land ownership due to the absence of a state subject certificate.

However, with the revocation of Article 370, both West Pakistan refugees and Valmikis can now buy land, apply for jobs, and participate in elections in J-K. The Valmiki community can explore alternative livelihoods as well.