Indian-origin US lawmaker introduces resolution on J&K

PTI, Dec 8, 2019, 11:44 AM IST

Washington: Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has introduced a Congressional resolution on Kashmir urging India to end as swiftly as possible restrictions on communications and preserve religious freedom for all residents.

The resolution, introduced in the House of Representatives after several weeks of efforts by Jayapal, has only one co-sponsor – Republican Congressman Steve Watkins from Kansas. It’s a simple resolution, which cannot be voted in the other chamber, Senate, and does not has the force of law.

Ahead of the introduction of the resolution, Indian-Americans from across the US urged her in various settings against it. Her office is believed to have received more than 25,000 emails from Indian-Americans in addition to in-person meetings by several representations of Indian-Americans.

Indian-Americans held peaceful demonstrations outside her office against her motion to table the resolution on Kashmir.

The resolution urges India to lift the remaining restrictions on communication and to restore internet access across all of Jammu and Kashmir as swiftly as possible.

While it recognises the dire security challenges faced by India in Jammu and Kashmir and the continuing threat of state-supported cross-border terrorism, the resolution urges India to refrain from the use of threats and excessive force against detained people and peaceful protesters.

It requests India to “swiftly release arbitrarily detained people” and “refrain from conditioning” the release of detained people on their willingness to sign bonds prohibiting any political activities and speeches.

The resolution claims that there is photographic evidence indicating that detained people have been required to sign surety bonds forbidding them from making statements or participating in political activities as a condition of their release. India has denied these allegations.

India maintains that the abrogation of Article 370 was its internal matter. It asserts that the government’s move to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir will bring ever-lasting peace in the region.