FIRST & FOREMOST ASIAN WEEKLY IN EUROPE
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Let noble thoughts come to us from every side
201923 -V 5 - 11 OCT 2019 - VOLOCT 48 ISSUE
Dear Mr Corbyn, R Labour Party & The British Indian Community
We are writing collectively, as British Indian community organisations, to express our deep dismay that Her Majesty’s Opposition has abandoned a long-standing cross-party position on Kashmir as a strictly bilateral matter between India and Pakistan, and in doing so, sown the seeds of community disharmony in the United Kingdom. The emergency motion passed at the recent Labour Party Conference is not acceptable to us as it seeks to interfere in the internal matters of, and between, third countries and is drafted in a one-sided and divisive manner. To quote one of your own shadow cabinet members, the motion is “ill-informed and partisan.” We are also hugely concerned about the wider attempts to bring the Kashmir issue into the domestic politics of the United Kingdom, which has serious ramifications for community harmony. We have already witnessed the horrendous scenes and arrests outside the Indian High Commission on 15th August. At a time when Brexit has already created deep divisions within our country, the last thing we need is to further divide different communities within the United Kingdom whilst destroying our diplomatic relations with the world’s largest democracy and long standing, valued strategic partner. We are particularly dismayed by the virulent reaction by the Labour Party to the removal of an outdated, temporary provision that was hindering development of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, development for people of all religions, of all genders, of all ethnicities. Progress, human rights, and values which we would have expected the Labour Party to stand for. For the avoidance of doubt, our organisations do not take party political positions and include members of all parties and none. However, in this instance, we feel compelled to highlight this serious issue. We are consulting with members and community colleagues to reconsider the level and nature of engagement with Labour Party representatives going forward in the light of the strident position your Party and you have taken. We await your urgent response. All British based Indian Organisations are invited to join this campaign. To add the name of your organisation in support of this letter please email with your name, title and name of the organisation you represent to aveditorial@abplgroup.com by 13th October 2019. This letter will then be sent to Mr Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party with all collated signatories. d id d b
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