Cameraperson: Gautam Sharma
Video Editor: Veeru Krishan Mohan
The Modi government refuses to allow MPs from India’s Opposition parties to visit Kashmir. But the same government welcomes right-wing Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to the state.
So, about this “unofficial delegation” of foreign leaders coming into Kashmir, I Have A Question.
The government was willing to bring in as many as 27 foreign politicians to J&K. And 22 leaders of the 27-member delegation either belong to the right or the far-right! That’s more than 80% of the group.
Only 3 MEPs in the list belong to the Centre-Right, and only 2 out of 27 are from the Centre-Left.
Undesirable Track Records, Far-Right Presence
Several members and parties listed in the delegation have a less-than-desirable track record.
The 6 French members all belong to Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party.
One of the members from National Rally, French lawmaker Thierry Mariana, has previously supported the Russian annexation in Crimea. He has also been accused of championing Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
All six members from Poland belong to the right-wing Law and Justice Party.
Among them, Polish lawmaker Ryszard Czarnecki was sacked as Vice President of the European Parliament in 2018 for comparing a fellow Polish MEP to a Nazi collaborator.
Another Polish MEP, Bogdan Rzonca, had made the following insensitive and anti-Semitic comment on social media in October 2017. He wrote, “I wonder why, despite the Holocaust, there are so many abortionists among Jews.”
The Law and Justice Party, which accounts for all six Polish members of the delegation to Kashmir, has also been accused of having a display of fascist slogans and flags at state ceremonies when the party was in power.
- Both members from Germany are from the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party.
- The lone member from Belgium is also from a far-right outfit
- 4 of 5 MEPs from the UK are from the right-wing Brexit Party
- 3 of the 4 Italian MEPs belong to right-wing parties Lega Nord and European People’s Party
Questions the Modi Govt Must Answer
Here are some questions that the Modi government should answer:
- If the Modi government’s intention was to snuff out international criticism of the clampdown in Kashmir, why not allow leaders from across the ideological spectrum to visit?
- Is having a right-wing ideology a prerequisite for foreign leaders to be allowed to visit Kashmir? If yes, then why?
- Earlier in October, a Democratic Senator from the US, Chris Van Holler was disallowed from visiting Kashmir. And on 29 October, a Liberal Democrat from the UK Chris Davies said that his invitation had been withdrawn as well. Why?
- Did the Indian government withdraw their invitation to UK LibDem MP Chris Davies because he wanted to be able to talk with local people, unaccompanied by security forces?
- If politicians from other countries can be allowed to visit Kashmir, how is it justified to deny Indian parliamentarians from Opposition parties entry into the state?
- And lastly, if the ground reality in Kashmir is that there is “normalcy”, so much so that foreign politicians can be given a tour of the region, why are the politicians of Jammu and Kashmir themselves not being released from detention?
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