J&K Assembly elections: Valley's first-time voters waiting for a new dawn

For young voters in the Valley where Assembly elections are being held after a decade, it's a chance to prioritise issues like unemployment and education. Here's a ground report by Sarthak Choudhury

Nineteen-year-old Farooq Mattoo from Munawarabad in Srinagar has been grappling with a dilemma for the past few weeks. Heavy rains have left his lane and much of the city flooded, forcing him to miss work on a couple of days. But the young Kashmiri’s concerns extend beyond the immediate challenges.

“I don’t know what to do about it and who I go to or write to. We have the public works department, but with barely any accountability, everything is at a standstill. Even if we have to protest, who do we protest against? Hopefully, things will get