Arguing that the U.S. should not ignore democratic values in its relationship with India, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar said at a hearing on Tuesday that Washington should see the situation in Indian-administered Kashmir as part of the Hindu nationalism project of the BJP government.
“Our partnership with India is strategic but it is also based on shared values of democracy, religious pluralism and respect of human rights. Under Modi, and the BJP government, all of these mutual values have been threatened,” she noted.
“I think we have to understand the situation in Kashmir as part of the overall Hindu nationalism project of BJP,” the Democratic lawmaker from Minnesota said in a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on Human Rights on Asia.
Along with her Congressional colleagues including Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) and Abigali Spanberger (D-Virginia), Omar launched a scathing condemnation of human rights violations in Indian Kashmir, which has been under siege with a communication blockade since August 5 this year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government revoked the disputed region’s autonomous status and imposed a curfew with nearly nine million soldiers.
Representing the Trump Administration Alice G. Wells, Acting Assistant Secretary Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, at the State Department, who alongside Robert A. Destro, Assistant Secretary Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, at the State Department, appeared as witnesses at the hearing chaired by Representative Brad Sherman. Both officials expressed U.S. concern over restrictions in Indian-administered Kashmir. In her written statement, Wells also called for Pakistan-India bilateral dialogue to address the situation. President Trump has in recent months offered to media on the thorny Kashmir question, saying Washington has close ties with both countries and their prime ministers – Narendra Modi and Imran Khan – and would like to help them sort out the situation.
Omar raised a series of questions at the hearing:
“So, my first question to you is about the right of self-determination.
“Is the United States committed to emphasizing the centrality of Kashmiri voices in determining the future of Jammu and Kashmiri people?” Omar asked.
In response, Acting Assistant Secretary Alice Wells disagreed with the characterization that “we don’t have a values-based relationship with the government of Prime Minister Modi.”
Wells added: “I would underscore that Prime Minister Modi came in a consecutive term, and he achieved a majority of vote in a very diverse political body.”
Omar repeated her question pointedly:
“We can agree to disagree on that. I just would like to understand if we are going to emphasize voices of Kashmiri (people),”
Alice Wells first explained the context of India’s August 5 actions but believed that Kashmiris’ voices should be heard.
“But just to provide the context, the actions he took were approved in the Parliament including by members of the Opposition. The Supreme Court is reviewing the decision, the High Court is reviewing habeas corpus petitions. The institutions of India’s democracy are working
“We absolutely believe that Kashmiris’ voice needs to be heard, that in any restoration, when there is restoration of a political, of an assembly, when there is the state assembly elections, that is the way for Kashmiris to be able to register their views, also in peaceful assembly.
“I think the concern over restriction of movement and what we have seen over the last 78 days is that that ability to protest peacefully has been difficult for Kashmiris to exercise.”
Omar then drew attention to another humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the Indian state of Assam, citing discriminatory treatment of Muslims.
“Part of the reason I asked and part of the reason I emphasize the context of the larger BJP project, is because I think that the situation in Assam is as bad as Kashmir, if not worse. I think in both cases the impunity we have seen for crimes against Muslims under the BJP was warning for such worst things to come.
“In Assam, almost two million people are being asked to affirmly prove their citizenship. As my colleague and the chairman said, there have been official statements to the effect that no Buddhists, Christians, Sikh or Jain refugees need to worry about their status.
And, so this is clearly an anti-Muslim program.
And I am sure that you have seen the same reports that the Indian government is started to build camps in Assam, presumably to hold those who are unable to prove their citizenship.This is how the Rohingya genocide started,” Omar added.
Omar than followed up with two questions:
At what point do we no longer share values with India?
Are we waiting for the Muslims in Assam to be put in those camps?
Alice Wells explained that the certification of citizenship in Assam dates to a 2013 Supreme Court ruling that ordered the government to do so to address the question of illegal immigration.
“The process, which continues to unfold and continues to be challenged in courts, now there are 1.9 million people who have not been certified. That include both Muslims and Hindus.
“There are 300 appeal panels that are being set up for those individuals to appeal this determination.
As my colleague has stated that we are concerned that many of the individuals may not have the wealth or the education to successfully be able to document their citizenship and are vulnerable.”
Wells said Washington would closely follow the situation in Assam.
“We will continue to watch this very closely. What I would stress that the appeal process process is still open, the judicial process is still working in India. As a democracy we respect other democracies’ abilities to self-police and self-regulate. So this process is underway. Our voices have been heard. Your voice is going to be heard. Obviously, there is international attention focused on this national citizenship registration.”
Representative Omar disagreed with the Indian government’s actions while the legal processes play out and said the U.S. should not allow an exception to India.
“Processes of legalities can take place under the justification of security and the such. The fact that there are public statements of having only Muslims prove their citizenship should be extremely alarming.
And an excuse that we do not police other democracies is not one that should not be acceptable to this committee, or acceptable to the American people.
We have to raise our voice of concern. We do that in many situations
There should not be an exception in this situation,” Omar concluded.
Chairman Brad Sherman, who has extensive contacts with South Asians in the United States and Pakistani and Indian leaders, supported Ilhan Omar’s contention against the countries committing human rights abuses pursuant to the court rulings and underscored the need for India to follow policies that are consistent with international human rights.
“I would) join with the gentle lady from Minnesota in the belief that a human rights abuse does not cease to be a human rights abuse just because it is done pursuant to the law or court rulings of the country committing the abuse. It’s not whether it is legal under Indian law but whether it is consistent with the international human rights,” Sherman said.
