PIO lawmaker’s resolution asks India to lift J&K curbs
WASHINGTON: Indian-american Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal ignored the voices of the diaspora from across the country as she went ahead with her pre-announced plans to introduce a resolution on Kashmir in the House of Representatives, agitated community leaders said.
The Chennai-born first-ever Indian-american women elected to the House of Representatives has been one of the few lawmakers, who are mostly from the Democratic party, raising their voices against the Indian government’s move on Jammu and Kashmir.
“Yesterday, I introduced a bipartisan House Resolution with @Rep_watkins to urge the Indian government to end restrictions on communications and mass detentions in Jammu and Kashmir as swiftly as possible and preserve religious freedom for all residents,” she said in a series of tweets late Saturday.
Jayapal, 54, started her vocal criticism of situation in Jammu and Kashmir from September 2019, several weeks after the abrogation of Article 370 of the
Indian Constitution on August 5.
The first major one being on September 10, when in a letter along with Democratic Congressman James Mcgovern from Massachusetts she urged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to press the Indian government to lift communication blockade in Jammu and Kashmir. India has defended imposition of restrictions in Kashmir on the grounds that they were put to prevent Pakistan from creating more mischief through proxies and terrorists following the abrogation of Article 370.
Ahead of the US visit of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, she issued another statement along with 10 other congresspersons urging for lifting of communication blockade in J&K. After she voiced her concerns saying it was based on the feedback from her constituents, the Indian mission approached her to provide specific names of individuals who couldn’t establish contacts with their relatives in Jammu and Kashmir so that contacts could be facilitated.
Eventually when names were not provided, her attention was drawn to the fact that her constituents were actually from Pakistan, masquerading as Kashmiris.
At the Congressional hearing on Human Rights in South Asia on October 22, Jayapal raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, questioning alleged illegal detentions and human rights abuse. It i s during t his hearing she announced that she will bring a resolution on Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Indian ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla, deputy chief of mission Amit Kumar and Indian consul general in San Francisco Sanjay Panda met Jayapal to explain India’s position on Kashmir.