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‘Whole of J&K must be reunited with India’
NEW DELHI: In the wake of the turmoil triggered by the killing of Burhan Wani, British MP Bob Blackman tells HT in an email interview that Jammu & Kashmir must be
NEW DELHI: In the wake of the turmoil triggered by the killing of Burhan Wani, British MP Bob Blackman tells HT in an email interview that Jammu & Kashmir must be reunited with India. The Conservative MP, reelected as chairman of All party parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Hindus is also associated with the overseas arm of the RSS — the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) — in the UK.
You are known as India’s friend in the British Parliament but off late you are seen as a Hindu voice.
40% of my constituents come from Gujarat and an overwhelming majority of my constituents are Hindus and I speak on their behalf in the parliament. My interest in the Indian diaspora and their causes goes back to my days as a councillor and as leader of the council in Brent.
You have said in the past that Kashmir is an integral part of India and liberation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is the issue that has to be solved. What do you think is a solution to the problem?
Pakistani forces illegally occupy a part of J&K. They should leave forthwith and the whole of J&K must be reunited with the rest of India as an integral part of it. Justice must be delivered for people uprooted from their homeland and efforts should be made to ensure that Kashmiri Pandits are able to return, should they wish to do so with dignity, freedom and in a safe, prosperous environment. The Indian government should set up a minimum of two smart cities to encourage the internally displaced minorities, the Kashmiri Pandits, to restart their lives in the Valley. This, however, ought to be planned carefully so as not to become another Jagti camp or a Wandahama massacre.
PM Modi’s visit to Lahore was followed by Pathankot attack. What do you make of India’s friendly overtures to Pakistan?
I applaud PM Modi’s efforts to reach out with a hand of friendship to Pakistan government, upholding democracy and democratic functions of a nation state. I expect the Pakistani government and people will recognise it as a positive gesture.
