By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: The Batla House encounter has been forgotten, is what the media tried to make us believe yesterday when Delhi, and Batla House area being part of it, were voting for the 15th Lok Sabha. Have the local people really moved on? No.
People in Jamia Nagar area turned up at polling booths in good number. The East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency wherein falls Jamia Nagar registered 52.50% vote. This was second highest turn out in all seven LS constituencies in Delhi with West Delhi with on top with 53%. In total Delhi recorded about 53%. People here voted because this was a national election, not a local one. Now was a question of prime minister and a secular ruling party at the center. Still there were some who though turned up at polling station but not to cast their vote in favor or against some party or candidate, rather to register their no-vote, as they have not forgotten the bloody shootout in the area on September 19 last year and constant refusal of government and authorities to a judicial probe.
RTI activist Afroz Alam Sahil
Afroz Alam Sahil (22) is mass communication student at Jamia Millia Islamia. He is angry that the government did not deal with the Batla House encounter fairly. So he decided to not vote. “No candidate was good in my eye as the big issue of the area – Batla House encounter – was nowhere in their campaigns. Being an RTI activist I filed several applications with the concerned authorities so that the government could come clean on the issue but mine was not heeded. That’s why I decided not to vote but to register my no-vote,” says Sahil who used Election Commission rule No. 49-O whereby one can register his/her dislike for a candidate. Sahil is not alone.
Ex councilor Asif Muhammad Khan
Ex-councilor of the area Asif Muhammad Khan also used the rule to refuse all candidates. “There were only two national parties in the fray here. We cannot vote for BJP. As for the Congress, the party has always tried to take vote from the community by frightening them from BJP. We want judicial enquiry into the Batla House encounter and we want the police change its attitude towards the residents but the Congress does not want to talk on these issues,” says Khan. He has been on the forefront of the public movement for the enquiry. He fought recent assembly elections on the issue and was able to give a nail-biting finish to the contest for the seat which the Congress had won hands-on thrice in a row.
Journalist Yousuf Munna
There are some others who are annoyed with the general attitude of political parties and politicians. They think whether or not they vote the winner, irrespective of his party affiliation, will never return to know about the well-being of the people. There may be millions in the country who thinking on the line just remained inside the door. Jamia Nagar too has its share of such citizens.
Yousuf Munna, resident of Abul Fazal Enclave, is one of them. “I did not cast my vote as I have no faith on politicians. At election time they come and visit lanes and by-lanes but after elections they do not turn up.”