Chronicle of an Impossible Election

‘A book of this kind is, at the very least, a useful chronicle of the Jammu and Kashmir elections, 2002,’ says J.M.L. Lyngdoh is his preface. It is a modest prelude to his account of a landmark event. The 2002 assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir were proposed to be held against near impossible odds-a volatile situation along the LoC with Pakistan, stepped up militant attacks within the state, and threats to candidates that disrupted normal election processes. To add to the logistics of security was the task of updating electoral rolls-all 351,850 pages of them-in Urdu. And at the heart of it all was the ordinary Kashmiri’s cynicism about any elections conducted in the state being free and fair, based on their experiences in the past. At stake, therefore, was the credibility of the Election Commission, and the democratic process itself. Despite all the doubt, the outcome was an election which was acknowledged fair, even by a vigilant media that had been keeping a close watch on events. In his understated yet compelling style, J.M. Lyngdoh recounts how it was done, and explains the complex circumstances surrounding the history of election in the state. In telling the riveting story, Chronicle of an Impossible Election also gives a ringside view of the functioning of the Election Commission, one of the great democratic institutions of the country, and how it has evolved as a guardian of fair play in elections. It is a story that every voter should know.