27 December 19
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26 December 19
FOCUS: Pramila Jayapal | India's Foreign Minister Refused Me. I Won't Stop Speaking Out on Human Rights.
Pramila Jayapal, The Washington Post
Jayapal writes: "I am proud to have lived my life in two of the world's great democracies - as a citizen of India for almost 35 years, and today, as a proud American citizen and the first Indian American woman elected to the House of Representatives."
Pramila Jayapal, The Washington Post
Jayapal writes: "I am proud to have lived my life in two of the world's great democracies - as a citizen of India for almost 35 years, and today, as a proud American citizen and the first Indian American woman elected to the House of Representatives."
EXCERPT:
So it came as a surprise when, last week, the Indian government communicated to the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.), that External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar would not attend a meeting on Capitol Hill if I was present. The apparent reason was a bipartisan resolution I introduced this month, with Rep. Steve Watkins (R-Kan.) as an original co-sponsor, calling on the Indian government to uphold basic human rights in Kashmir. The resolution was narrowly crafted to focus on three issues: lifting the communications blackout that has been imposed on Kashmir since August, ending detentions without charges and respecting religious freedom.
Rep. Engel rightly refused to accede to the demand; it is wholly inappropriate for any foreign government to try to dictate which members of Congress participate in meetings on Capitol Hill. It’s also a sign of weakness for any great democracy to refuse to allow those who have some criticisms to participate in a meeting — a giant missed opportunity for two countries that value dialogue and dissent.
When I visited India in 2017 with then-Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. Engel on a congressional delegation, I raised the issues of religious freedom in India to Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly. Jaishankar also participated in that meeting.
Unfortunately, the situation in India has gotten far worse since that visit. There has been a spike in attacks against religious minorities throughout India. The Indian government’s imposition of a media blackout in Kashmir is now the longest-running Internet shutdown ever to occur in a democracy. While some landlines have been restored, millions still have no access to mobile services or the Internet. Foreign journalists have largely been kept out of the region and even Indian members of Parliament have been unable to visit the area. Hospitals have been unable to get supplies, emergency health services have been severely disrupted and people with serious health conditions have been unable to access critical medicines.
Disturbingly, the Indian government has also “taken into preventive custody” over 5,000 Kashmiris, including about 144 children — many under the Public Safety Act, a controversial law that allows authorities to imprison someone in Kashmir for up to two years without charge or trial. These “preventive” arrests afford detainees no due process and are clear violations of international human rights. As of Dec. 4, 609 people remained in custody in and outside of Kashmir.
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