EU envoys to visit Kashmir on Feb 12

Arun Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 10

Continuing with its diplomatic outreach and to showcase emerging normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir since August 5, when Article 370 was abrogated and unprecedented restrictions imposed, the Centre is bringing nearly 24 Delhi-based ambassadors, including those of European countries, to Kashmir this week.

The visit comes at a time when the government has slapped Public Safety Act on former CMs Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, regarded as political figures with considerable influence over the mainstream political class in the Valley. This negates the world view, often articulated by the US and the European countries to release political leaders and lift Internet restrictions in toto.

Sources said a significant number of envoys from European countries would be part of this group of ambassadors who are likely to visit J&K on February 12. They would interact with political leaders who have chosen to demand restoration of statehood to J&K that has been split into Ladakh and J&K Union Territories.

The envoys, sources told The Tribune, would be briefed on the necessity that had arisen to revoke special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The argument would be that political and constitutional barriers between J&K and the rest of the country had created a fertile ground for secessionism, which was being used by Pakistan to its advantage by exploiting the sentiments of Kashmiris.

It may be recalled that this visit is also an attempt to show that the situation in Kashmir was not as fiery and explosive as being viewed by the outer world from a distance, where prejudiced media reports were creating distortions. It is a diplomatic outreach to mollify the EU countries on Kashmir and CAA.

A resolution on Kashmir and CAA is pending before the European Parliament. It will come up for voting next month. This is the third such visit of foreign delegations to J&K. A guided tour of Members of European Parliament, mostly representing right-wing ideologies, conducted in October last year had come under sharp criticism as the members were not allowed to meet local residents. They had given a certificate of “near-normalcy” and were hesitant to comment on the situation.

The visit of 15 ambassadors, including that of the US, in January this year was relatively more open. But the US had made it clear that political leaders should be released.

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PM to co-chair India-EU summit on March 13

Sandeep Dikshit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 10

The government will take about 20 foreign envoys for a second visit to Jammu & Kashmir by the end of this week. “Since the last visit of envoys to J&K on January 9 and 10, we have received several requests from foreign ambassadors to visit the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. A group of envoys from different geographical regions will be visiting J&K this week. We will share further updates in due course,’’ sources here said.

It is not yet clear whether the government will invite envoys from European countries who had sought an unchaperoned visit and the freedom to meet former CMs Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. Last time, several EU envoys were either not invited or had refused the government offer for a guided tour of the Kashmir valley.

Significantly, the visit will take place before External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar leaves for Brussels where he will also meet some MEPs besides doing spadework for PM Narendra Modi’s visit to co-chair the

India-EU summit on March 13 which is being held after over two years.

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Continuation

Under pressure from the EU and US Congress over the communication lockdown in Kashmir, New Delhi feels it is the right time to meet the demand for release of all political prisoners who have been detained without charges.

The sources were hopeful that some European envoys would be among those who would be taken to J&K. India had done some fire-fighting with assurances to defer a European Parliament vote on five resolutions criticising New Delhi’s policies on Kashmir and CAA-NRC.

One of the main demands by the European Parliament as well as US Congress was permission to envoys and foreign journalists for unimpeded access to Kashmir. This visit, like last month’s two-day tour of 15 envoys and diplomats, is expected to blunt that argument although an earlier visit by 23 Members of the European Parliament was unable to prevent the tabling of six resolutions in the European Parliament against NRC and Kashmir.

But contacts between these right-wing MPs and Indian diplomats and a section of expatriates helping the government resulted in the withdrawal of one of the resolutions.These MEPs also weighed-in on India’s side by favouring deferment of vote on the remaining five resolutions (bunched into a joint resolution) to March.