Dear editor,
We have seen an article titled "Human rights violations ― painful history shared by women in Korea, Kashmir" that was published in your newspaper on Sept. 8.
The article is riddled with factual inaccuracies, false narratives and baseless allegations against India. Above all, it is politically motivated and divorced from ground realities. The purpose of writing this letter is to set the record straight and present the facts to your esteemed readers in an objective manner.
Jammu and Kashmir is and has been an integral part of India since Oct. 26, 1947, when the then ruler of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir signed the Instrument of Accession to bring about its lawful merger with the Union of India.
This accession was completely lawful in terms of the Government of India Act, 1935, Indian Independence Act, 1947, and international law, and is total and irrevocable. On the contrary, Pakistan is in illegal and forcible occupation of Indian territories of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
On Aug. 5, 2019, the Parliament of India passed a bill to revoke the temporary provision of Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution of India. The Parliament, after due deliberation and debate, also passed an act to bring about the administrative reorganization of the erstwhile state into the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh.
These changes in India's domestic laws were carried out lawfully within the framework of the Indian Constitution, with the primary objective of delivering good governance and promoting socioeconomic justice to the people of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh.
The presence of Indian security forces in the territories has been necessitated by the need to prevent infiltration of terrorists from across the border, check activities of anti-social elements and maintain peace and law and order. Temporary restrictions imposed in the wake of abrogation of Article 370 to maintain law and order have been gradually lifted and full normalcy now prevails in the area.
Your readers would know that India is a nation with a proud history of a robust and uninterrupted democracy and has developed strong democratic institutions to safeguard the rights of its people, including a free press, independent national and state human rights commissions, autonomous election commission etc.
It is only after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that the remit of the powerful National Human Rights Commission of India has also been extended to the people of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Each and every report of any human rights violation in any part of India, including Jammu and Kashmir, is investigated seriously by the commission. It is worth noting that such rights are not enjoyed by the people of the very country that seeks to attack India and its people.
The attempt made in the article to play on the sentiments of your readers by drawing a parallel between the suffering of Korean "comfort women" during Japanese colonial rule and the women of Jammu and Kashmir today is preposterous. It is a pity that such blatant lies against India, a nation whose proud democratic traditions are globally acknowledged, have been given an airing via your platform.
Kriti Das Thokchom
Second secretary (political & media)
Embassy of India, Seoul
We have seen an article titled "Human rights violations ― painful history shared by women in Korea, Kashmir" that was published in your newspaper on Sept. 8.
The article is riddled with factual inaccuracies, false narratives and baseless allegations against India. Above all, it is politically motivated and divorced from ground realities. The purpose of writing this letter is to set the record straight and present the facts to your esteemed readers in an objective manner.
Jammu and Kashmir is and has been an integral part of India since Oct. 26, 1947, when the then ruler of the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir signed the Instrument of Accession to bring about its lawful merger with the Union of India.
This accession was completely lawful in terms of the Government of India Act, 1935, Indian Independence Act, 1947, and international law, and is total and irrevocable. On the contrary, Pakistan is in illegal and forcible occupation of Indian territories of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
On Aug. 5, 2019, the Parliament of India passed a bill to revoke the temporary provision of Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution of India. The Parliament, after due deliberation and debate, also passed an act to bring about the administrative reorganization of the erstwhile state into the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh.
These changes in India's domestic laws were carried out lawfully within the framework of the Indian Constitution, with the primary objective of delivering good governance and promoting socioeconomic justice to the people of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh.
The presence of Indian security forces in the territories has been necessitated by the need to prevent infiltration of terrorists from across the border, check activities of anti-social elements and maintain peace and law and order. Temporary restrictions imposed in the wake of abrogation of Article 370 to maintain law and order have been gradually lifted and full normalcy now prevails in the area.
Your readers would know that India is a nation with a proud history of a robust and uninterrupted democracy and has developed strong democratic institutions to safeguard the rights of its people, including a free press, independent national and state human rights commissions, autonomous election commission etc.
It is only after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that the remit of the powerful National Human Rights Commission of India has also been extended to the people of the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Each and every report of any human rights violation in any part of India, including Jammu and Kashmir, is investigated seriously by the commission. It is worth noting that such rights are not enjoyed by the people of the very country that seeks to attack India and its people.
The attempt made in the article to play on the sentiments of your readers by drawing a parallel between the suffering of Korean "comfort women" during Japanese colonial rule and the women of Jammu and Kashmir today is preposterous. It is a pity that such blatant lies against India, a nation whose proud democratic traditions are globally acknowledged, have been given an airing via your platform.
Kriti Das Thokchom
Second secretary (political & media)
Embassy of India, Seoul
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