Voting is underway in Indian Kashmir amid tight security. The elections come after some of the worst protests against Indian rule in the country’s only Muslim-majority state.

People will be asked to cast their ballot on a range of local government issues in an election process that will last more than a month in an attempt to avert violence.

“I am sure as the day progresses, many people will come and vote, like we are doing,” said one man.

Another voter sais: “I have come to cast my vote so that things can change and our issues can be resolved.”

The Indian government is hoping for a decent turnout to bolster its rule of the Kashmir region, which is split between India and Pakistan, with a sparsely populated stretch held by China.

Anti-Indian sentiment runs deep in Kashmir, where most people favour independence from India or a merger with Pakistan.

Dozens of people were killed in pro-independance protests last month.

Seperatist guerrillas, who have in the past resorted to violence to scupper elections, have this year called for a boycott of the vote instead .

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