Kashmir's first-time voters waiting for a new dawn

For young voters in the Valley where Assembly elections are being held after a decade, it's a chance to prioritise issues like unemployment and education. Here's a ground

- SARTHAK CHOUDHURY

Nineteen-year-old Farooq Mattoo from Munawarabad in Srinagar has been grappling with a dilemma for the past few weeks. Heavy rains have left his lane and much of the city flooded, forcing him to miss work on a couple of days. But the young Kashmiri's concerns extend beyond the immediate challenges.

"I don't know what to do about it and who I go to or write to. We have the public works department, but with barely any accountability, everything is at a standstill. Even if we have to protest, who do we protest against? Hopefully, things will get better in a month," Mattoo said.

Mattoo is among the over 90,000 new voters who will cast their ballots for the first time in the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Assembly elections. The Union Territory is voting in three phases from September 18. The results will be declared on October 8.

According to the Chief Electoral Officer, the number of young voters in the age group of 18-19 has grown by 45,964, with over half being women (24,310). The total number of young electors in J&K now stands at 2.53 million.

For a generation that has been disconnected from a functioning government for a decade, the upcoming elections represent more than just a democratic exercise.