A democratic process that suffered decades of conflict is slowly reviving. Omar Abdullah, a third-generation politician, is fighting for a seating India's Parliament from North Kashmir. Once, the only Muslim-majority state in the country, it was stripped of its special status and brought directly under the control of Prime Minister Modi's government. Oma's campaign is essentially about self-respect, protection of the land, and preservation of Kashmiri identity. Even though Modi campaigns on the success of his Kashmir policy, his party's absence in these elections is conspicuous.

If what I've done is so popular, why would I not take this opportunity to get my candidates elected in this election? Kushmir being a Muslim-majority area, they would have had to field Muslim candidates, which might have affected their in the rest of the country. That's one possibility. Or the second possibility is that they know that what they did on the fifth of August, 2019, has been deeply unpopular, and they don't want it proven through votes..

These elections are a test for further democratic exercises, and people want their voices heard.

The locals are nowhere stakeholders in decision-making process. Whatever laws are being framed, whatever regulations are being made, Kishmiris are not being consulted. So they feel left out. They feel voiceless at the moment. They feel disempowered drastically at the moment. So this election has given them a chance A chance they have grabbed eagerly, as many keep silent for fear of retribution.

Wahid Para, a political activist, knows it too well, imprisoned for years on terror charges.

I'm taking a huge risk I'm talking to you. But then somebody has to stand and people have to take risks as well, since we want to be in public life and we want to represent our own people. We're not doing anything anti-constitution, anti-India. I think our space, which we, Kashmiri mainstream, work in, is that we are for this country. We are for the Constitution. But we want the dignity of Kashmiris to be intact.

Even though it has few seats in Parliament, Kashmir is symbolic and very significant, a region over which archrivals India and Pakistan have fought wars. It's often been called a nuclear flashpoint. Kashmir has grappled with decades of militancy, unrest, and betroth by political regimes, both here and in New Delhi, and it has made its people skeptical. But once again, they are willing to put their faith into democracy for a better future. Neville Lazarus, Sky News in Srinagar, Kashmir.