India moves to sensitise US Congress on Kashmir

NEW DELHI: US-based civil society groups led by Indians have moved US Congressmen following attempts by some American lawmakers to bring a resolution against the Modi government’s decisions pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir.

Indo-American Community Federation (IACF), in collaboration with Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA) and USINPAC, organized a congressional briefing at Capitol Hill on October 16 on 'Kashmir, the Way Forward’, ET has learnt.

The objective of the briefing was to promote pluralism, reconnect and reintegrate the hearts and minds of the people of Kashmir following the removal of Articles 370 and 35A on August 5 this year.


The event was sponsored by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and attended by Congressman Ro Khanna, Mike Thompson, Zoe Lofgren, Mark Desaulneir and Doris Matsui. The chairman of the House of Foreign Relations Committee Elliot Engel also attended the event. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo in her opening statement stressed that India and the US, the two largest democracies in the world, need to work to strengthen democracies.

The event was also attended by a large number of congressional staff, Indian-Americans and Kashmiri Pandits. Shakun Malik, president of Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA), talked about the plight of Kashmiri Pandits and the discrimination faced by Kashmiri women, minorities and weaker sections of the society due to Articles 370 and 35A.

Some of the victims of Kashmiri terrorism like Swapna Raina, Archana Kokroo and Scahin Koul shared their stories between 1990 and 1991.

Jeff M. Smith, research fellow from top US think-tank Heritage Foundation, who was present at the event, lamented that genocide and ethnic cleansing have not been covered by the western press while Pakistan’s narrative about Kashmir has been getting wide press coverage. Talking about how the US views the Kashmir issue, he reiterated the US’ official position that recent policy changes in Kashmir are India’s internal matter.