TWENTY THREE MEMBERS OF THE EU-EUROPEAN UNION, most of them seeped with Islamophobia and sharing the far-right position on politics with India’s Bhartiya Janata Party, sponsored by unbeknownst shady organisations in Europe and Delhi, were happy to take a Shikara ride on the Dal lake in Kashmir, while the people of Kashmir were suffering an unprecedented lockdown, separated through an iron curtain from the rest of the world. Instead of fact-finding and being boldly inquisitive, they ended their visit by endorsing Indian government’s stand on Kashmir. 

FACING INTERNATIONAL OPPROBRIUM for not allowing global human rights organisations, United States Senators, Indian parliamentarians and political leaders to visit the facade of untruth and lies in Indian Occupied Kashmir, the government of India classically stage-managed an ‘unofficial’ visit of Members of the European Parliament to war-torn Kashmir.

Sadly, these MEPs from Germany, France, Poland, United Kingdom and the Czech Republic, Belgium, Spain and Slovakia did nothing but rub salt on the wounds of harassed Kashmiris reeling under overwhelming Indian army battalions but still  protesting through a self-imposed exile in their homes, with 1.5 million children not going to schools and trade -big and small, shut since the last 90 days, when on August 5, India initiated legislative measures to deny Kashmir its special status -accepted and ratified under Indian laws and UN resolutions. Life in Kashmir is virtually at a standstill. The period over, now India has officially made Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as Union Territories as the Supreme Court of India, under one pretext or the other prevaricated and posted the hearing on the legality of the government of India’s move on Article 370 and Article 35.

The European Union Members of Parliament did nothing but rub salt on the wounds of harassed Kashmiris reeling under Indian army battalions but still protesting through a self-imposed exile in their homes, with 1.5 million children not going to schools and trade shut. Life is at a virtual stand-still.

With the clear intention of presenting a sanitised picture during a tutored tour, all arrangements were made by lobbyist and international broker Madi Sharma of Women’s Economic and Social Think Tank (WESTT) and the other is Ankur Srivastava of the International Institute of Non-aligned Studies, based in New Delhi, though not traceable as reported by a section of the Indian media.  What is further intriguing is that even the respective embassies of the countries to which they belong were also not in the know of their trip.

With civil society silenced, Kashmiri media totally censored with only a semblance of operations from the state-designation Information centre, Kashmiri leadership in prisons, dissenters behind bars, women and children imprisoned in jails out of Kashmir, the remarks of one MP that “we wish we had more time” pierces the heart at their callous approach and focus. It adds insult to injury that the delegation met civil, police and army officials and made no efforts to meet the families of those in prisons, those killed, the children with pellet injuries and the women who live in constant fear.

During and at the end of their two-day manicured tour of the Valley, they rephrased the 5-page advisory given to them by the government of India, while giving their opinion to carefully chosen journalists or addressing a curated press conference. They and the government of India declared that it was an ‘unofficial private trip’, but India provided the rare  opportunity of a photo-op with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a briefing session on terrorism in Kashmir with India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, not to speak of the facilities and security to enjoy their picnic to the heaven on earth -Kashmir.

One of the MEP from Great Britain Chris Davies had the belly to ask the dubious organiser that while in Kashmir he would like to meet the ordinary man on the streets without security. “Permission denied” was the response. Four others, for reasons still not public, chose not to take the flight to Kashmir from Delhi. Perhaps, their conscience pricked them after reaching Indraprastha and meeting the Lord presiding over it.

The European parliamentarians really enjoyed their all-expenses-paid picnic to the hilt. The glee on their faces belied the agony that was being faced by the Kashmiris and served well to tell India’s story that Kashmir is normal, barring ‘terrorist attacks’ by neighbouring Pakistan. As India always does, the entire struggle for self-determination in Kashmir was reduced to law and order issue with support from Pakistan. Only their accent gave away their identity, otherwise, it was not difficult to mistake them for leaders of India’s ruling Bhartiya Janata Party or the spokespersons of the Ministry of External Affairs or even India’s UN representatives over the years irrespective of the ruling government, who have been parroting these lines for the last many decades.

MEA spokesperson Ravish Kumar resorted to Goebellspeak saying, “Such an exchange was a people to people contact and not an internationalisation of the Kashmir issue.” People-to-people contact? Did it happen on the Dal Lake or at the army headquarters when  General Officer in Command of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lt Gen KJS Dhillon was briefing the EU MPs?

India’s opposition Congress party and the Left and BJP’s ally Shiv Sena in Maharashtra saw the visit of the European Members of Parliament as a ‘departure from India’s foreign policy.’ This narrative confirms that notwithstanding who is going to trouble-torn areas, it has been India’s policy not to allow any international presence for monitoring civil, religious and human rights.

MEA spokesperson Ravish Kumar resorted to Goebellspeak saying, “Such an exchange was a people to people contact and not an internationalisation of the Kashmir issue.” People-to-people contact? Did it happen on the Dal Lake or at the army headquarters when  General Officer in Command of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps Lt Gen KJS Dhillon was briefing the EU MPs?

The Indian state will now use this European excursion to Kashmir at international forums that it has an open policy on Kashmir. Various governments of the world and the United Nations, who so easily buy India’s ‘alternative truths’ will lap up this big lie, notwithstanding the nature of the tour and denial by the European Parliament spokesperson that this was not an official EU fact-finding mission.

Despite this mockery of an exploratory trip, there emerged a glimmer of hope when Marketa Homolkova, First Secretary, Delegation of the European Union (EU) in Geneva, while addressing the General Assembly’s First Committee discussion on ‘Regional Disarmament and Security’ said, “In a moment of renewed tensions around Kashmir, we call on both parties to avoid escalation and encourage them to resume bilateral dialogue, with a view to finding a peaceful and political solution.”

 “In a moment of renewed tensions around Kashmir, we call on both parties to avoid escalation and encourage them to resume bilateral dialogue, with a view to finding a peaceful and political solution.”

Marketa Homolkova, First Secretary, Delegation of the EU in Geneva

The visiting European Union delegation, the European Union, the United Nations and India all have to recognize that Kashmir requires a political resolution as it is a political conflict and not a temporary law and order situation or a terrorist crimes hub.

The European Union will do well to request India for an official visit soon, not only to acknowledge and document the human rights and political situation in Kashmir but also to repair its own image brutally sullied by the present visit.

The international community must effectively intervene to enable a resolution of the political conflict in Indian Occupied Kashmir by talking to the entire spectrum of Kashmiri leaders -from the India-inclusive types to those who are pro-freedom.

Now that global forums -the European Union, the United Nations and the US Congress have had debates and discussions on Kashmir, there is no mistaking the fact that Kashmir is an international subject, agitating everyone who is concerned for the people of Kashmir and peace in South Asia. Communication, engagement and political conflict-resolution is the only way forward, not managed excursions mouthing platitudes of a guilty government.