The Issue

Kashmir is a long standing issue with over 100,000 lives lost since 1947 and the unrest in the region continues till date. What started as an issue for 4 million people, is now a problem faced by almost 20 million people in Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and Jammu & Kashmir valley. While reports of human rights violation including torture and brutality in the Indian administered divisions of Kashmir are already part of public record making the matter even more complicated.

Every time a referendum approaches in Kashmir, we are plagued by concerns over the transparency and fairness of the voting process. This is not just a personal worry; it's a shared sentiment among my community. The referendum process often feels fraught with allegations of manipulation, disenfranchisement, and a lack of trust from both voters and candidates alike. For decades, the people of Kashmir have yearned for a system that guarantees just representation and genuine solution.

Moreover, decades of limbo has created unrest in the Azad Jammu & Kashmir (administratively attached with Pakistan) where protests erupted recently. Apparently it is a local political issue, however protestor's sentiments, slogans and chants voice result of decades of limbo on UN referendum across Kashmir and the conundrum people of Kashmir face till date in all of its divisions, regardless of the administrative attachment. 

The Solution

Blockchain technology offers a promising solution. By its very nature, blockchain is transparent, secure, and immutable. If the UN were to implement a blockchain voting solution in Kashmir, it could significantly enhance the integrity of our electoral process. The best part? The software necessary for this transformation is already ready for deployment and, importantly, available free of charge. This is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss. Kashmir Chain is a free blockchain that aims to provide the solution to people of Kashmir through United Nations and relevant stake holders.

In a simple analogy think of a blockchain as a shared notebook that many people own copies of.

• Every time someone votes, a new line is added to every copy.
• Everyone can see that a new entry was added (without necessarily knowing who cast it).
• If someone tries to secretly erase or change a vote in just one notebook, it won't match everyone else's copies, making the tampering obvious.

The benefits of blockchain voting are manifold. First, it ensures each vote is counted accurately and is virtually impossible to tamper with. Blockchain's decentralized nature means there's no singular point of failure, reducing the risk of systemic corruption. Furthermore, it offers a clear, auditable trail that builds trust among voters, making them more likely to participate in elections.

However, the deployment of such a solution requires support from the global community, particularly from an organization that holds respect and influence, like the United Nations. The UN has a history of fostering peace and maintaining transparency in conflict zones, and its involvement in this initiative could be pivotal.

So far following countries have been using blockchain technology to power voting systems.

• Sierre Leone
  Successful presidential voting
  Successful use in presidential election for voting in 280 locations in the western district.
• United States
  Limited use
  Some states, such as West Virginia (2018) and a few local jurisdictions, tested blockchain-based mobile voting for military or overseas voters. Many pilots were later discontinued following security concerns.
• Russia
  Pilot use
  Blockchain technology has been used in some regional and municipal voting experiments, though these systems have faced criticism regarding transparency and security.
• Brazil
  Limited use
  The cities of São Paulo, Valparaiso de Goiás and Curitiba are trialing blockchain voting for more transparent voting.
• Switzerland
  Successful Trial
  Some cantons have experimented with electronic voting technologies. Blockchain-based approaches have been explored, but no nationwide blockchain voting system has been adopted.
• South Korea
  Non-political voting
  Blockchain has been used for certain organisational, university, and local governance votes rather than national elections.
• Japan
  Local experiments
  A few municipalities have tested blockchain for local referendums and administrative voting.
• India
  Research stage
  The Election Commission of India has explored blockchain concepts with research institutions, but blockchain voting has not been used in public elections.

Why Kashmir Chain?
Kashmir Chain - Muslim Chain uses voting based consensus mechanism that records internal decisions on a secure ledger. As a free-fork for the Layer 0-1 blockchain Kashmir Chain is an independent, and autonomous entity urging United Nations with a node (computers storing copies) structure that includes India, Pakistan, United Nations and independent observers through copies of the same ledger recording the votes. 

Thumb impressions are already available in Pakistani and Indian national identification databases. Whereas, historically any solution proposed from either side came to a halt due to concerns raised from either Pakistan or India prolonging the suffering for Kashmiri diaspora. 

Take Action Now

By signing this petition, we urge the United Nations to take immediate action. Pressing for the implementation of blockchain voting in Kashmir will empower its citizens and promote peace, stability, and a fair referendum process. Let's stand for a transparent referendum in Kashmir. Please sign this petition and help ensure every voice is heard fairly and trusted globally.