|
CNN, May 23, 1996, Web posted at: 9:30 a.m.
EDT (1330 GMT)
Soldiers herd Kashmiris to
polls
Protesters dispersed by police
BARAMULA, India (CNN) -- Soldiers roused many villagers and
townspeople from their homes soon after dawn Thursday to vote in
the first elections in seven years in the predominantly Muslim
Jammu-Kashmir state.
Many voters complained of being forced to participate in
a government they don't support. At stake are six seats
in the 545-member parliament in New Delhi. It's the first
election since a campaign for independence from Hindu-dominated
India turned violent in 1989.
"The army came early in the morning and dragged
people from their houses. But we gathered all the men, women,
boys and girls to come here. We will not vote,"
said Mohammed Safi, a pharmaceuticals salesman in Sopore.
"We don't want to be with India. They have destroyed
our lives. We want only freedom," he said. "These are
fake elections."
The soldiers escorted the Kashmiris to polling stations. Security
forces also visited mosques, telling people to vote after morning
prayers.
"They said if we do not vote, they will beat us," Gulan
Mohidin said.
Police wielding clubs clashed with demonstrators. The officers
fired shots in the air, launched tear gas and charged protesters
in Baramula, about 35 miles northwest of the Himalayan state's
summer capital of Srinagar.
No one was seriously injured. Witnesses said protesters stormed
polling booths, prompting police to use force.
"We do not want elections, we want freedom,"
screamed a group of women.
Separatists' stance
Separatists had vowed to disrupt the election as part of their
fight against Indian rule. Pakistan, which claims Kashmir, denies
charges by India that it is arming the militants.
Officials predict a turnout of 25 percent, a dramatic increase
from the 5 percent who voted in 1989. Thursday's election will
not affect parliament's balance of power.
India portrayed the election as evidence that Kashmiris are weary
of war and that the insurrection is waning. Voting officials said
security forces were deployed to some 2,000 polling booths to
combat the militant threats.
Two blasts rocked Jammu-Kashmir in the two days leading up to the
election. Separatist groups claimed responsibility for Tuesday's
attack, and police suspect separatists also were behind the
second bombing.
On Wednesday, a bus explosion killed at least 20 people,
including four children. A car bomb on Tuesday ripped through a
crowded marketplace, killing more than 17 people.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.