EP.835: India’s High Commissioner SLAMS Pakistan Over Kashmir Standoff

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to the Indian High Commissioner to the U.K. Ruchi Ghanashyam. She discusses the importance of Republic Day for India which falls on the 26th of January and responds to allegations made by the Pakistani High Commissioner over Kashmir. She discusses why Narendra Modi’s BJP scrapped Article 370, criticism of the Indian government’s lockdown of the region, why Pakistan is the aggressor in Kashmir and also responds to Imran Khan’s allegations of similarities between Modi’s government and the Nazis. In the second half, the High Commissioner discusses UK-India relations, whether the history of colonialism has any impact on today’s relations, the prospect of a post-Brexit trade deal and more!

STATEMENT FROM THE PAKISTANI HIGH COMMISSION:

The thrust and concern of Pakistan’s High Commissioner has essentially been on unabated human rights violations in Indian occupied Kashmir. The issue of rights abuses is something on which not only the High Commissioner but the entire international community has raised concerns and media across the world have reported extensively.

There are documented accounts of decades long atrocities and crimes against humanity committed by the Indian forces against defenceless Kashmiris, prepared by internationally recognized organizations. Amnesty International released the report “Losing Sight in Kashmir:The Impact of Pellet-Firing Shotguns-( https://amnesty.org.in/losing-sight-kashmir-impact-pellet-firing-shotguns/). International People’s Tribunal report on discovery of mass graves in occupied Kashmir “Buried Evidence”. ( http://www.mofa.gov.pk/documents/kashmir/BuriedEvidenceKashmir.pdf)

The heinous crimes such as mass rape of Kunan Pashpora, more than two dozen massacres since 1989 and genocide of 1947 are all well documented accounts by credible international organizations.

The very siege of Kashmir by Indian occupation forces for more than 5 months with complete shutdown of communication and media has been condemned by the international community.

The entire international community has repeatedly referred to the Jammu and Kashmir territory under Indian occupation as world’s most militarized zone with over 700,000 armed forces.

Calling it an internal matter of India is itself a violation of UNSC resolutions on Kashmir dispute. The very fact that UNSC has held two closed door meetings on Kashmir is a manifestation of its International nature and concern.