New breed stamping authority on Kashmir politics as separatists boycott poll

Описание: (13 Sep 2002)
Kashmir - Recent
1. Omar Abdullah, leader of National Conference party, sitting on top of truck during campaigning for state legislative elections
2. National Conference supporters chanting
3. Overhead shot of Omar Abdullah walking at election rally, surrounded by supporters
4. Wide of crowd at rally
5. Election posters on wall
6. Omar Abdullah giving speech, with security officers standing guard at podium
7. Schoolgirls listening to speech
8. Wide shot of crowd
9. Chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah, handing over cap to his son (Omar) as he inherits leadership of the national Conference, then father and son hugging
10. Various of National Conference supporters singing and waving party flags
11. SOUNDBITE: (Urdu) Omar Abdullah, National Conference leader:
"I want answers. You (the separatists) enter the fray and give us the answer. You need to answer the people, this state. And if you do not want to give any answer, then just sit aside. Take your passport and go abroad, because you are not entitled to talk here."
12. Mehbooba Mufti, leader of People's Democratic Party, being surrounded by crowd at election rally
13. Mid-shot of Mufti
Delhi- Recent
14. SOUNDBITE: (English) Prem Shankar Jha, political commentator:
"If there is some real opposition to the National Conference and there is a fairly high turnout as a result, it will be an alternative for the people of Jammu and Kashmir to violence as a way of getting their voice heard - and in effect (of) taking control of their own destiny. Ideally, if the Kashmiri nationalists, the Hurriyat, Shabir Shah et cetera, had decided to take part in this election, then there would have been a clear choice for the Kashmiri people between the National Conference and this conglomerate."
Srinagar - August 18, 2002
15. Various of meeting between group of private mediators on Kashmir and separatist Hurriyat conference leaders
16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Abdul Ghani Bhat, Hurriyat Conference leader:
"The Kashmiri committee impressed on us to participate (in state elections). We said, to ascertain the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, India and Pakistan should evolve a mechanism whereby the wishes can be ascertained."
17. Various of National Conference supporters chanting
Delhi - Recent
18. SOUNDBITE: (English) Prem Shankar Jha, political commentator:
"Since the Hurriyat has not taken part (in state elections), there is no one who will emerge from this election, who can say to the Jehadis (Islamic militants): okay, enough is enough. Now we have a representative government and we don't need you anymore. And therefore the Kashmiris do not expect an end to the violence. They don't expect, therefore, an end to the Indian security forces' presence. They don't expect an end to the human rights violations. They are therefore in a mood of considerable disappointment and, I think, desperation."
Srinagar - Recent
19. Various of Mehbooba Mufti giving speech at election rally
20. Supporters listening
STORYLINE:
Campaigning is continuing apace for the start on Monday of legislative elections in the northern Indian state of Jammu-Kashmir, despite a string of violent attacks by suspected Islamic militants.
A new breed of young political leaders in the Himalayan state promises to bring progressive thinking and a new flexibility that could yet help untie some of the knots in Kashmir's five-decade territorial dispute.
But a boycott of the elections by separatist groups has effectively eliminated any chance of the poll offering voters a broad choice.

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