Kashmir in Crisis
Khalid Mahmood Labour MP for Perry Barr has said the House if Commons should be recalled for an urgent debate to urge restraint following the decision of the Hindu nationalist government of India to revoke the United Nations policy on Kashmir
“Kashmir has overnight become a world flash point as its people live in fear locked in their homes by thousands of Indian troops sent in to repress the local population who want the UN resolution saying Kashmiris should vote on their future to be honoured.
“Boris Johnson should raise this attack on the UN at the Security Council and forge a coalition with all who support global rule of law for pressure and persuasion on India’s prime minister Narenda Modi to step back before democratic opposition to this agressive act if Hindu nationalism turns to violence.
“Britain has an historic responsibility given the bungled nature of the its Withdrawal from the region in 1947. Moreover there are more than 2 million Kashmiri British citizens in the U.K. who have a network of millions of family, personal, business and cultural links with Kashmir.
“India and Pakistan have fought wars and are both nuclear states. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have recorded the scores of thousands of Kashmiris killed or maimed by Indian security forces who deny the basic democratic right of political protest to the people of Kashmir.
“Every member of the U.K. Kashmiri communities present in over half of the U.K. 650 constituencies will be watching anxiously to see if our prime minister supports their anguish and offers his support or instead backs the nationalist Hindu identity extremism of Modi.
“His proposal to sell land held for generations by Kashmiri Muslim farmers in order to settle Hindu nationalists loyal to Modi is nothing short or ethnic cleansing and will inevitably lead to conflict.
“I am writing to the Speaker and the leaders of opposition parties to urge their support for a one day debate so that Mr Johnson can make a statement and reassure British Kashmiris he stands with them.
