Kashmir under spotlight-Joe Biden seeks restoration of peoples’ rights in Kashmir

Democratic party presidential candidate disappointed with CAA and NRC 

Democratic Party presidential candidate and former US vice president Joe Biden has asked India to lift restrictions and restore the rights of Kashmiri people in Indian occupied Kashmir. According to the policy paper and a statement posted recently on his campaign website, he is also disappointed with  the introduction of CAA and NRC in India. Both measures consider anti-Muslim and millions of people across India protested against these measures and legislation before the emergence of COVID-19 in March. 

The pro-India lobby in Democratic Party is trying to put pressure on Joe Biden campaign to withdraw the statement and policy. The pro-India lobby is not happy with the strongly worded statement. Joe Biden played important role in signing the Nuclear deal with India as a vice president with president Obama administration. This statement came as big shock for many pro- Indian  Hindu Democratic party members. 

But for Kashmiris, it is an important development that leading presidential candidate has come out openly and demanded the lifting of restrictions imposed on them by modi government for nearly 10 months. 

Joe Biden has said that "In Kashmir, the Indian government should take all necessary steps to restore the rights of all the people of Kashmir. Restrictions on dissent, such as preventing peaceful protests or shutting or slowing down the internet, weaken democracy."

India scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the constitution on August 5 last year and bifurcated it into two Union territories – Ladakh, and Jammu and Kashmir.

India has defended its move, saying the special status provisions only gave rise to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. It has asserted that the reading down of Article 370 is its “internal matter”.

Joe Biden has been disappointed by the measures that the government of India has taken with the implementation and aftermath of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam and the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act into law, the policy paper said.

     The Indian government maintains that the CAA, which was passed by Parliament, is an internal matter of the country and stressed that the goal is to protect the oppressed minorities of neighbouring countries.

Already caught in the whirlwind of internal strife, economic crises and border disputes with China and Nepal, India was dealt with a blow at the diplomatic front when the US Democratic Presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden denounced New Delhi’s legislation with regard to minorities and unlimited restrictions in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K) is under a military siege since August 5, 2019 when New Delhi revoked its autonomous status and now the valley has been turned into an open-air prison.

In a policy paper “Joe Biden’s agenda for Muslim-American Communities” posted on his campaign website, the US Democratic Presidential nominee asked the Indian government to take all necessary steps to restore rights for all the people of Kashmir.

“Restrictions on dissent, such as preventing peaceful protests or shutting or slowing down the Internet, weaken democracy,” Joe Biden remarked.

Expressing disappointment over the measures taken by the Indian government for the implementation of the NRC in Assam and the CAA, Joe Biden said “These measures are inconsistent with the country’s long tradition of secularism and with sustaining a multi-ethnic and multi-religious democracy.”

Democratic presidential nominee and former US vice president Joe Biden wants India to take necessary steps to restore the rights of Kashmiris, and has expressed disappointment over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the implementation of the NRC in Assam.

                                                                             Khalid Bhatti