One person has died and several were injured as police clashed withprotesters in Indian administered Kashmir during the fifth phase ofseven-phased elections on Saturday.
Violence broke out early in the fifth phase ofelections in Indian-administered Kashmir. Hundreds of anti-electionprotesters took to streets in Koil village of Pulwama district inSouthern Kashmir and staged demonstrations. The demonstrators metresistance from the police.
Police also chased away demonstrators at several other places in the district.
IshtiyaqAhmad Ashai is the top civilian official in Pulwama district. "AtKarimabad and Paigaon we had some minor incidents which have beenbrought under control, however some of our police personnel gotinjured," he said. "However at Koil, fire had to open [there wasfiring] which has resulted in injuries to three persons, who have beenshifted to hospital."
Early in the morning an undeclaredcurfew was in efffect in Srinagar and major towns to prevent separatistmarches. Eleven constituencies spread over three districts in Kashmirwent to the polls Saturday.
Kashmiri separatists have called fora voting boycott, citing the fact that India uses elections to justifyits control over the region. Most of the separatists have been eitherdetained or put under house arrest in the last two months to preventthe poll boycott campaign. Some of them have been booked under theinfamous Public Safety Act that allows detention without a trial for upto two years. Undeclared curfews and restrictions have prevented Fridayprayers in Kashmir's largest mosque for the last six weeks.
Despite the boycott call an unprecedented number of people have cast their votes in the first four phases of voting.
Theheavy turn out in Kashmir, where anti-India sentiment runs deep, hassurprised many Kashmiri analysts. Weeks before the polls began, Kashmirhad seen some of the largest pro-freedom demonstrations in decades.
The seven phased staggered voting process in Kashmir began on November 17 and will conclude on December 24.
Thestaggered process allows authorities to move and deploy thousands oftroops in each area to prevent violence and poll disruptions.