Centre takes US, Korean, other envoys to Srinagar for first-hand experience

SRINAGAR | NEW DELHI: Fifteen ambassadors to India visited Srinagar on Thursday to ‘assess firsthand’ the impact of the measures the Centre and the local administration had taken in recent weeks. The visit was facilitated by the Centre on the ‘request’ of some envoys, according to government sources.

The team comprising ambassadors of the United States, South Korea, Vietnam, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Maldives, Norway, Morocco, Nigeria, Niger, Argentina, Peru, Fiji, Guyana and Togo, met a cross section of society besides senior security personnel. Security officials briefed them on challenges, including terrorism, they faced. It was followed by an interaction with civil society. The group also interacted with the local media and a group of political leaders. The programme was drawn up keeping in mind the threat posed by terrorists, a source said. Envoys saw open shops and people and vehicular traffic on the streets.

They met a delegation of politicians led by former minister Altaf Bukhari, which included former legislators of the People’s Democratic Party and other political parties.“ We informed them that what happened onAugust5 was neither expected nor what the people of J&K wanted. People of J&K feel humiliated, ” former legislator Ghulam Hassan Mir, who met the foreign delegation, told ET. He said that politicians should utilise every platform to convey their grievances. “We have always ruined our case by not engaging with the people. If conducting meetings is a sin, then let people hang us in public,” Mir said. He added that the group presented views mentioned in the 15-pointmemorandumsubmitted to the lieutenant governor. Later in the day, the PDP expelled its leaders who met the team.


Nine journalists, including editors of Greater Kashmir, Rising Kashmir and Kashmir Images met the foreign delegation and raised the demand of restoring internet, suspended since August 5.“I apprised them,about the prevailing situation in Kashmir,” senior journalist Majid Hyderi told ET.

A team from Army’s Goodwill School also met the group. The delegation had a 5-minuteboat ride on Dal Lake. It will hold more meetings in Jammu on Friday, before returning to New Delhi.