SOURCE: Tribune News Service
A senior US diplomat looking after South Asia has hailed incremental steps in Kashmir as a positive sign in a major recognition of the steps taken by the Centre in Kashmir in the recent weeks, signalling the changed perceptions in the USA. This significant change in the US State Department’s prism of viewing Kashmir has come after the lifting of the partial restrictions to access the Internet that came soon after the visit of 15 diplomats, including the US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster, to Kashmir early this month.
In her opening remarks, on the conclusion of her visit to India, Pakistan and other countries in the region, the State Department’s Principal Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian affairs, at a press briefing on Friday in the State Department, noted that she was pleased to “see some incremental steps, including the partial return of the Internet service in Kashmir”.
This reference was to the January 15 order of the administration of J&K in which 2G mobile services and broadband were restored all across the Union Territory of J&K. The erstwhile state was divided into two UTs of Ladakh and J&K on October 31 in pursuance of the announcement made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament on August 5, the day he had also declared the special status of Jammu and Kashmir null and void.
It, however, was not clear whether she had also taken note of the Friday evening’s fresh announcement on further relaxation in the restrictions on the Internet.
This, by all counts, is a first major positive statement from the US State Department, particularly by Wells who monitors the developments in South Asia.
She had been very critical of the restrictions imposed in Kashmir post August 5.
Wells yet again reflected on the visit of the US ambassador to Kashmir, as part of the envoys’ group who were taken to J&K on January 9 and 10 to see the return of normalcy in the Valley.
They had heard concerns over the Internet shutdown and also over the prolonged detention of political leaders, including three former chief ministers. These were conveyed to the GoI in no uncertain terms.
“The visit (to J&K) by our ambassador and other foreign diplomats to Jammu and Kashmir was as a useful step,” she said.
Wells did not miss to underline the point to say that the US continues to urge the GoI to permit regular access by our diplomats, and to move swiftly to release those political leaders detained without charge.
Three former chief ministers of J&K, along with several other political leaders, continue to stay in detention nearly for six months now.
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