Uri, Oct 1: Avais Yunis Kakroo, a 30-year-old businessman based in Kuwait, made a journey spanning multiple countries and over 4,000 kilometers to cast his vote in the ongoing Kashmir assembly elections.
Hailing from Nambla, a remote village near the Line of Control in the border town of Uri, Avais said he felt a deep obligation to return home and vote for the man who changed his life.
“I left Kuwait at 10 p.m. last night,” Avais said. His journey took him from Kuwait to Dubai, then to Mumbai, Delhi, and finally Srinagar. After arriving in Srinagar, he drove directly to Uri, reaching his destination at 5 p.m. on election day, just an hour before the polls closed.
For Avais, this was not just a vote; it was a way to repay a personal debt of gratitude to a politician who had gone above and beyond to help him. “I felt it was my duty to come and vote for him after all he has done for me,” Avais said, recalling how the politician had arranged for him and six other young men from the border region to secure jobs in Kuwait years ago.
It was in Kuwait that Avais launched his own general trading company, ‘Power Bright,’ which he now runs successfully.
Despite his family’s decades-long loyalty to the politician’s rivals, Avais’s personal connection with the candidate transcended traditional political allegiances.
“We had supported his rivals for 30 years, but I cannot forget what he did for me,” Avais said. “He went out of his way to help the youth of this border region. I’ll always be indebted to him for what he’s done for us.”
The tickets for the journey back home cost Avais over one lakh rupees, but for him, the expense was a small price to pay for the chance to honor someone who had made such a significant impact on his life.
Avais’s story highlights the profound ways in which individual politicians can affect the lives of their constituents, especially in remote regions like Nambla. “Politicians can make a real difference,” Avais reflected, “and that’s something I’ll always remember.”
As dusk fell in Uri, Avais cast his vote, grateful for the opportunity to give back in his own way.