Memorandum of UKPNP presented at time of demonstration outside Indian High Commission, London.

United  Kashmir  People's National Party(UKPNP)

Date:   07 August 2019                                                             

Memorandum

1.   United Kashmir People’s National Party strongly feels that India has betrayed trust people of former Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir.

2.   After the Pakistan’s unprovoked attack or our sovereignty on 22 October 1947, our Ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh, and political leadership of that time Sheikh Abdullah believed that a democratic India will protect our life, liberty, honour, property and State.

3.   Based on this belief, and because of mutual trust and shared democratic values, we believed that our status and rights were protected by constitutional guarantees of the Articles 370 and 35A.

4.   It was unfortunate that our independence and certain rights were encroached with time, but still learned and democratic and educated people of Jammu and Kashmir believed that India’s presence in Jammu and Kashmir was because of that Instrument of Accession our Ruler signed; and because of United Nations Security Council Resolutions of 13 August 1948 and 05 January 1949.

5.   What Prime Minister Modi has done to these written agreements, and in our view, that is illegal and unconstitutional, and against established norms of democratic values. We cannot accept this or support this kind of attack on our fundamental rights and values.

6.   Prime Minister Modi may have pleased his right wing allies and supporters, but he has seriously damaged the image of democratic and secular India in the entire world; and apart from us all civil and democratic forces of India, especially learned leaders of the Congress and liberal thinker are condemning  this unwise and unjust decision.

7.   With this action, Prime Minister Modi has justified what Pakistan and pro Pakistan people claimed that India will betray you and, you people will regret.

8.   This action also provided a big propaganda stick in hands of those who always opposed the Article 370 and 35 A; and practically eroded whatever little space we liberal, democratic and secular people of the State of Jammu and Kashmir had.

9.   India was responsible for honouring responsibilities assumed under United Nations Security Council Resolutions, and under the terms of Instrument of Accession; but sadly those responsibilities were not honoured and now they have officially decimated State of Jammu and Kashmir.

10.                 It is a direct attack on our fundamental rights, our State, our identity, our values and our future; and it will have a far reaching impact on politics and security of India and the region.

11.                 In our view, this decision is imperialist in nature, and is not  only against interests of citizens of Jammu and Kashmir, but also against interests of democratic and secular India.

12.                 India has shown that they are only interested in these areas by annexing them, and have not declared any policy regarding areas of Jammu and Kashmir under control of Pakistan and China.

13.                 The Instrument of Accession was for the entire State of Jammu and Kashmir, and not for those areas under the control of India. We believe, by abandoning these areas and by annexing areas of Jammu and Kashmir under their control, Modi government has made the Instrument of Accession null and void.

14.                 We believe, constitutionally we are back in October 1947, when one neighbour attacked our State; and we approached the other neighbour for help. Sadly, the neighbour we trusted to save us has also swallowed us under the guise of law.

15.                 Question before us is, what do we do now? Whom should we trust? Whom we should approach for help?

16.                 We are seriously concerned about plight of our people suffering on both sides of the divide, as this decision will result in more bloodshed, more oppression, more violence and instability in the region.

17.                 Those people who thought India was a democratic and a secular country with pro people and forward looking policies are seriously disappointed and frustrated with the policies of the current government of India; and sadly they have proved us wrong by bringing them at par with Pakistan.

18.                 Finally, our struggle for united and independent Jammu and Kashmir with democratic and secular society will continue. May Almighty help and guide us.

United Kashmir Peoples National Party, Britain.

State of Jammu and Kashmir is exterminated, Dr Shabir Choudhry

State of Jammu and Kashmir is exterminated, Dr Shabir Choudhry

London      05 August 2019

It is a sad day for me. It is a sad day for people of Jammu and Kashmir, because our State of Jammu and Kashmir is officially decimated by the government of India.

Dr Shabir Choudhry, who is a President of Foreign Affairs Committee of United Kashmir Peoples National Party, while condemning this decision said, ‘All those who, including the Maharaja Hari Singh, bestowed their trust in India that a democratic India will honour their pledges and save life, liberty, honour and property of people of Jammu and Kashmir are dishonoured and badly let down.

He further said, ‘India was responsible for honouring responsibilities assumed under United Nations Security Council Resolutions, and under the terms of Instrument of Accession.’

‘This decision, imperialist in nature, is not  only against interests of citizens of Jammu and Kashmir, but also against interests of democratic and secular India’, Dr Choudhry added.

UKPNP leader said, ‘We are seriously concerned about plight of our people suffering on both sides of the divide, as this decision will result in more bloodshed, more oppression, more violence and instability in the region.

We thought Pakistan was oppressive, and unreliable neighbour, and India was a democratic and a secular country with pro people and forward looking policies; but the current government of India have proved us wrong by bringing them at par with Pakistan.

UKPNP leader said, ‘This decision is unwise, unjust and against established norms of democracy. This unwise decision will be opposed by all true sons of the soil, and challenged on streets, in courts and all international fora.’

Our struggle for united and independent Jammu and Kashmir with democratic and secular society will continue. END.

Email: drshabirchoudhry@gmail.com – Tel : 004477909424

Humanity and Kashmir into the global debate, By Mekaal Hassan.

Humanity and Kashmir into the global debate, By Mekaal Hassan.

The Kashmir dispute has once again been brought into the global consciousness. Earlier this month a plane flew over Headingley Stadium in Leeds during the Cricket World Cup, with a banner urging India to “free Kashmir”. Then Donald Trump made his unexpected offer this week to “mediate or arbitrate” over the conflict. The intervention has not only prompted strong remarks on both sides of the Line of Control, but also engaged political commentators, academics and diplomats across the world.

Timing is everything. The end of July marks two decades since the guns fell silent on the three-month Kargil war, which claimed the lives of nearly 400 Pakistani servicemen and over 500 Indian troops. It was the last official time the conflict between the two nuclear actors turned hot.

Renewed foreign interest in one of the world’s most critical flashpoints can only be a good sign – since any chance of peace or resolution will depend in large part on the support of the international community. The US Correspondent for British newspaper The Independent recently argued that Trump “could be the clown who solves the 70-year Kashmir crisis. India and Pakistan should [at least] let him try”.

And yet all this political posturing and diplomacy masks the reality of life on the ground. It can be easy to forget that behind the maps, borders and political speeches there are real people who are trying to get on with their lives. Even in one of the world’s most militarised zones, life goes on.

But when disaster and hardship threaten, the need for humanitarian response transcends border disputes.

The Kashmir earthquake is a case in point. In 2005, India and Pakistan put aside their differences for the sake of humanity, and opened five crossing points on the Line of Control in order to ease of the flow of humanitarian and medical aid to the region. The world responded: international aid teams assisted in the relief efforts; even the British and American military sent aid from their bases in Afghanistan.

Alshair Fiyaz, an investor and philanthropist, remembers the time well. He provided aid for the emergency distribution of winter shelter for 1,600 families suffering from the destruction of their homes by the quake in Kashmir’s Azad area, near the epicentre. As well as contributing to short-term emergency accommodation, the funds enabled long-term planning for permanent housing projects for those families still living in camps.

But Fiyaz believes philanthropy knows no borders: indeed, his own humanitarian work has crossed the Line of Control. In India, Fiyaz’s philanthropic ALFI Foundation has supported single-parent families in sending their children to school instead of work, and organised funds for private tuition for students, regardless of their ability. It has also sent resources to address youth unemployment, by helping young mechanics, cab drivers and builders to buy the cars and tools they need.

20 years after Kargil, political disputes over Kashmir continue to rumble on. The international community is once again becoming more aware. But for the world’s humanitarians, people – not borders – remain the focus.