Ensure freedom to protest: Kerry

Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 31

United States Secretary of State John Kerry today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi where the two discussed many of the bilateral and regional issues between India and the US. Kerry who was supposed to depart tonight had a change in his schedule and would now be departing later, sources said.

Kerry visited the IIT-Delhi and took questions from students during his address. In one comment, Kerry pointedly said: “We have to respect the rights of all our citizens, irrespective of creed, and allow them to protest in peace without fear that they will be jailed.” 

His reference was to India's growing atmosphere of censorship. Kerry here was making the US position clear. His comments also assume significance in light of the fact that sedition charges have been pressed against Amnesty International over a Kashmir-related event, where slogans of ‘Azadi’ were raised. The US State Department also a few days ago supported the right to freedom of expression with regards to the Amnesty case. 

Meanwhile, when it came to Pakistan, Kerry stuck to the line he had taken yesterday at the joint press conference with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, but also softened his comments a little by pointing out that even Pakistan has suffered greatly from terrorism and lost 50,000 lives to it. 

“It’s clear that Pakistan has work to do in order to push harder against its indigenous groups that are engaged in terrorist activities," he said. 

When asked about Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump, Kerry chose to play it a little diplomatic and said: “ You have to rely on good judgement of American people”.