The Kashmir outreach

The MEP visit hasn’t helped. Fix the message and messenger

In the first visit by foreign dignitaries to Jammu and Kashmir after the government’s decision to nullify Article 370, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) visited the Valley this week. Given the criticism of India’s moves in Europe and the United States, many in government saw this as an opportunity to present their case to an influential international audience and change the narrative.

But it has not quite turned out that way. There were three issues with the visit. The first was the composition of the group. Most of the parliamentarians belonged to right-wing parties of their respective countries. Some have a history of controversial statements and positions, including on Islam. This limits the appeal of India’s message to select political quarters, and could, in fact, lead to the critics of India’s Kashmir policy — especially the liberals and the Left — in the West doubling down on their attacks. The second was the nature of the visit. Both the European Union and the ministry of external affairs clarified that this was not an official visit. This meant that it lacked the legitimacy of an official delegation. The fact that the visit had actually been organised by a little-known non-governmental organisation, which could promise a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a Kashmir visit to the MEPs, actually diminishes its credibility. The optics of the visit was the third issue. Life in Kashmir is not normal; there is a shutdown for most of the day; mainstream political leaders remain under detention; and there is a sullen anger in the absence of political engagement. The fact that India’s own Opposition leaders have not been allowed in to the Valley dampened the visit even more.

The core problem is that India’s messaging on Kashmir has gaps. It has made a strong case for the revocation of Article 370, and for most part, the international community has both recognised that this is irreversible and that it is India’s “internal affair”. It also understands India’s concerns on terrorism. But the crackdown on civil liberties and detention of political leaders is hard to justify. If India wants a more positive message to go out, it will need to take steps — swiftly — to restore normalcy, even while tackling violence. India will then find it easier to get more credible messengers to relay its case in the wider international community.