New Labour leader faces revolt for shifting stance on Kashmir

LONDON: The Labour Party’s new leader Keir Starmer faces revolt from the party's grassroots supporters and the parliamentary party leaders after shifting his stance on the issue of Indian occupied Kashmir and succumbing to pressure from the Indian lobby.

British Kashmiri groups, who have mainly supported Labour in British politics, have condemned the newly elected leader for insisting that the issue of Indian occupied Kashmir is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan. His statement came on the heels of a meeting he had with an Indian lobby group.

"We must not allow issues of the sub-continent to divide communities here," Keir Starmer said, after a meeting with the executive team of the Labour Friends of India (LFIN).

"Any constitutional issues in India are a matter for the Indian parliament, and Kashmir is a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan to resolve peacefully," he added.

Starmer made these comments intending to distance himself from his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, who openly denounced Indian atrocities in occupied Kashmir and never responded to pressure from the Indian lobby. He always maintained his strong ethical and moral stance on Kashmir, condemned Modi’s actions against Kashmiris and the humanitarian crisis faces by nearly 8 million people in the disputed territory.

The Labour Party’s left has already issued a condemnation of Starmer’s bowing down before the Indian lobby linked with the militant Hindutva Bahartiya Janata Party (BJP) and RSS.

It’s understood that many parliamentarians – including around a dozen British Pakistani MPs - have called for an urgent meeting with the new Labour leader to seek an explanation of his remarks and the withdrawal of his factually wrong and appeasement policy towards state terrorism of the Indian government on occupied Kashmir.

Kashmiri diaspora leader Barrister A Majid Tramboo of the Organisation of Kashmir Coalition (OKC) expressed his astonishment at Starmer's controversial letter. Speaking to The News and Geo, Tramboo termed it as “most unfortunate”. Barrister Tramboo further stated that the letter is in total contravention of the Labour Party’s policy, manifesto and various resolutions on the conflict of occupied Kashmir. He confirmed that OKC has written to the Labour leader, highlighting the above factors. “OKC is also intending to write to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in terms that under the COVID-19 guise, the Indian government continues its terror in J&K," he said. 

Mirza Saaib Beg, Kashmiri Lawyer and candidate for Masters in Public Policy at Blavatnik School of Government in the University of Oxford, told this correspondent: "At a time when India's Hindu supremacy and intolerance is verifiably established around the world- killing Muslims in Delhi, NRC, CAA, nine months of communication blockade in occupied Kashmir, the continuous detention of Kashmiris without any legal charges- after all this overwhelming evidence, the Leader of the Opposition made no mention of these and instead spoke of ‘Hindu-phobia’- an unverified claim made only by the Labour Friends of India. Kashmiris are not objects that can be bought and sold in lieu of aid or votes. The action of the Leader of the Opposition is nothing but naked opportunism to profit off a humanitarian crisis in occupied Kashmir, by bargaining silence over our suffering to secure favours from India or Indian voters."

The Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Tehseen Gilani said that the United Nations institutions and human rights bodies from across the world are challenging Modi's regime for the crimes against humanity, Keir Starmer has gone completely against Labour values & traditions to support a fascist government.

He said: “Keir Starmer needs education on the fact that the UN has made a commitment to the people of occupied Kashmir to resolve the conflict through a free and fair referendum, so it is by no means a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan or an issue for the Indian Parliament. It is particularly disrespectful to say so when it is being said for the sake of a few thousand votes and completely disregarding what the people of occupied Kashmir are subjected to on a daily basis.”

London's vice-chair of the Labour Party, Seema Chandwani, said that Starmer "cannot meet with an unaffiliated unaccountable group of people and change the conference position on Kashmir unilaterally".

The Guardian columnist and leading activist, Owen Jones, said he would have preferred to see Starmer adopt a stronger position on the conflict and support Kashmiris' desire for self-determination.

"Kashmir is a matter for the Kashmiri people, not the Indian Parliament. Labour should support national self-determination and human rights unequivocally."

Jeremy Corbyn's stance on Kashmir was clear in his August 2019 tweet: "The situation in Kashmir is deeply disturbing. Human rights abuses taking place are unacceptable. The rights of the Kashmiri people must be respected and UN resolutions implemented."

The Labour Party under Corbyn also called for an international team of observers to enter the region, noting the "enforced disappearance of civilians", and "the overall prevalence of human rights violations".

The motion added that "the people of Kashmir should be given the right of self-determination".

On April 30, in a joint statement released by Labour Friends of India and Sir Kier Starmer, the new leader of the Labour Party had said: "We must not allow issues of the sub-continent to divide communities here. Any constitutional issues in India are a matter for the Indian Parliament and Kashmir is a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan to resolve peacefully. Labour is an internationalist Party and stands for the defence of human rights everywhere."

Starmer also said, "A Labour government under my leadership will be determined to build even stronger business links with India and to co-operate on the global stage on issues such as climate change. I look forward to meeting the Indian High Commissioner in due course to open a renewed dialogue between the Labour Party and the people of India.