London: A wave of protests erupted at the University of Oxford as a group of Indian students vocally opposed a debate on Kashmir hosted by the Oxford Union Society. The event, titled “This House Believes in an Independent State of Kashmir,” featured speakers Zafar Khan of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and Muzzammil Ayub Thakur from the World Kashmir Freedom Movement, both of whom have been linked to organizations accused of terrorism. During the protest, chants of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Oxford Union stands with terrorism" echoed through the historic university grounds, as demonstrators expressed their outrage over the invitation extended to speakers they believe promote anti-India sentiments.
Indian student Aadarsh Mishra, a member of the Oxford Union, took to the floor during the debate to denounce the JKLF as a terrorist organization, stating, “I do not trust this house” and announcing a ‘no confidence motion’ against the Union's president, whom he labeled a “stooge of ISI and Pakistan.” The protests were supported by various Indian diaspora organizations, including the Oxford Hindu Society, which released a formal letter urging the Oxford Union to cancel the event. The letter emphasized concerns about the speakers’ affiliations with groups accused of inciting anti-Hindu sentiments and highlighted the historical violence against Kashmiri Hindus tied to the conflict in the region.
“The Kashmir region has been a target of terrorism for decades, causing the forced exodus of thousands of Kashmiri Hindus,” the Insight UK letter to the Oxford Union stated. “Kashmir is recognized internationally as an integral part of India, and any debate questioning this is a challenge to India’s sovereignty.” The tensions surrounding the debate come amidst India’s recent five-year extension of a ban on the JKLF, led by imprisoned terror accused Yasin Malik. The Indian government has consistently maintained that both the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh are integral parts of India. As a prominent student-led society founded in 1823, the Oxford Union has historically been a platform for free speech and debate. However, the recent events have sparked a broader discussion about the implications of hosting controversial speakers and the potential for such debates to incite division among student communities. The Oxford Union has yet to respond to requests for comment regarding the protest and the concerns raised by the Indian student community. The situation remains fluid, as the campus grapples with the complexities of international politics and its impact on student life.
