India angry with UK Labour leader for expressing solidarity with Kashmiris

BIRMINGHAM: Indian High Commission in Britain is upset with Labour Party’s deputy leader Tom Watson for supporting the people of Kashmir unequivocally by condemning India’s move to take away the autonomous status of Kashmir by revoking Article 370.

It all started when Tom Watson, who is member of Parliament from West Bromwich, marched with a large number of protesters in Birmingham to show support for the people of Kashmir. The rally was organised by Kashmiri group locally to protest the Indian atrocities in Held Kashmir, especially the deteriorating human rights situation in the region since India’s unilateral withdrawal of Article 370 and imposing a curfew and media and communications blackout in the Kashmir Valley.

Addressing the rally in Birmingham’s Victoria Square outside the city council, the deputy leader of Labour Party Tom Watson MP said, “I bring you solidarity on behalf of the Labour movement in the United Kingdom. I’ve worked with many of you for the last 20 years and I’ve never seen more worries on your faces and I have seen on your faces in the last 25 days. You’re worried about your loved ones you can’t communicate with. We’ve read the stories where people do not get medical supplies. There is no food, or water, or basic provisions. That is what they call a humanitarian crisis. And this is a responsibility for all of us in the international community.”

The High Commission raised issue with Geo correspondent Saima Haroon’s tweet, which read: “Strong words by @tom_watson deputy leader @UKLabour at #KashmirSolidarityDay rally outside @BhamCityCouncil to express solidarity with Kashmiris.”

The High Commission’s official account tweeted in reply stating, “Facts on the ground are - most of the phones working, no shortage of essential supplies and medicines, shops open, transport plying normally, most schools open, restrictions on movement substantially relaxed. Life is returning to normal. The High Commission will keep updating.”

Since then there has been a growing criticism on social media on Mr Tom Watson for showing solidarity with Kashmiris mainly by Indians living in the UK. An army of trolls has been unleashed on him after the Indian High Commission intervened.

The Labour councillor and organiser of the rally in Birmingham Waseem Zafar appreciated MP Tom Watson’s words. Replying to IHC London’s statement on social media the councillor from Lozels stated: “If you’ve nothing to hide, why are you not allowing independent observers to visit? If your ‘facts’ are actually facts, they will be independently verified.”

AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider thanked Tom Watson. PM Haider expressed his gratitude for Mr Watson on social media stating: “We, the people of Kashmir, are grateful to Tom Watson for his comments in favour of oppressed people of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Later, speaking to Geo News Midlands correspondent Saima Haroon, Tom Watson said that he has been paying attention as not only people in his own constituency & Birmingham but across the region and in the whole country are worried and he has seen the increasing fear on the faces of the families up and down in the UK since August 5.

Tom Watson MP told Geo News: “There’s a whole community who has been excommunicated from the world by severing off communication networks, people are worried about medical supplies and basic provisions, that’s the form of repression that is not sustainable in the long term.”

“These are unprecedented signs even in the region that has been troubled by the scars of disagreement for many years and in no circumstances where both India and Pakistan have admitted that bilateral framework is not working and it’s collapsing. The UK government has got to stand up it’s got to do all it can to try and resolve this issue.

You can’t starve people into submission, you cannot put a whole nation of people into essentially a communication form of solitary confinement, you need to find a political process. I think I’m responsible for doing that as a Midlands MP but I also think the real responsibility currently lies with the foreign secretary Dominic Raab, that’s his job he should speak out. These people expect their government to do that for them.”