Washington: Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has introduced a Congressional resolution urging India to end the restrictions on communications in Jammu and Kashmir as swiftly as possible and preserve religious freedom for all residents.
The resolution, introduced in the House of Representatives after several weeks of efforts by Jayapal on Friday, 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 have 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 move 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.
India has defended imposition of restrictions in the Kashmir Valley on the grounds that they were put to prevent Pakistan from creating more mischief through proxies and terrorists following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5.
While the resolution 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 revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status was its sovereign decision and it cannot accept any interference in its internal affairs. (PTI)
