What has removal of Article 370 achieved?
These communities are home to almost 1.5 lakh people in J&K, and tuesday was a very emotional day. "For the past 70 years, our community has been denied the ability to vote. The Hindu immigrant from pakistan, who was casting his first ballot in kashmir - SRINAGAR/JAMMU' target='_blank' title='jammu and kashmir-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW">jammu and kashmir, told the Daily Excelsior, a J&K-based publication, "The Valmiki community was kept away from the voting process."
In the last stages of Tuesday's kashmir - SRINAGAR/JAMMU' target='_blank' title='jammu and kashmir-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW">jammu and kashmir assembly elections, a man who was fifty years old cast his first ballot.
Among the rights that the abrogation of article 370 granted was the ability to vote. The right to possess land is one of the other rights.
"I'm overjoyed... Despite being fifty, this is my first time voting. Current events are shifting," a voter informed the Daily Excelsior.
Voting is now available to the West Pakistani Refugees, Valmikis, and Gorkha populations who had been treated as "unwanted citizens" for more than 70 years. Their political representation has always been lacking.
They number 1.5 lakh and are primarily found along the data-borders in the districts of Jammu, Samba, and Kathua.
"We are now taking part in the assembly elections for the first time in history, having lived in kashmir - SRINAGAR/JAMMU' target='_blank' title='jammu and kashmir-Latest Updates, Photos, Videos are a click away, CLICK NOW">jammu and kashmir for the previous 75 years as unwelcome residents. For us, it's a dream come true," West pakistan Refugees Action Committee President Labha ram gandhi told PTI.
"It still amazes us that we are now J&K citizens and voters. For us, it is a red-letter day," gandhi continued.
The 63-year-old leader of refugees who cast his ballot at the Nundpur voting place in Samba.