EU MPs in Kashmir say Article 370 internal issue, stand by India in fight against terror

Capping a visit that attracted controversy and opposition ire, EU parliamentarians visiting Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday termed Article 370 an internal issue of India and said they stand by the country in its fight against terrorism.

The 23 members of European Parliament, who flew into a restive Kashmir Valley pockmarked by shutdowns and clashes for a two-day visit on Tuesday, also condemned the killing of five migrant labourers from West Bengal by terrorists in south Kashmir's Kulgam district.

"If we talk about Article 370, it is India's internal matter. What concerns us is terrorism which is a global menace and we should stand with India in fighting it. There was an unfortunate incident of the killing of five innocent labourers by terrorists. We condemn it," said Henri Malosse from France.

Malosse, a former president of the European Economic and Social Committee, said the team got a briefing from the army and police as well as young activists and exchanged "ideas of peace".

Several of the 23 MPs belong to the right and far-right parties and are not part of the mainstream in their own countries. The visit has been cloaked in controversy with several questions raised on its funding and some reports suggesting it was organised by an NGO that promised a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The two-day trip, to assess the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, is significant for more than one reason.

It is the first high-level foreign visit to Kashmir after the August 5 decision of the Centre to revoke the state's special status under Article 370 and downsize it into two union territories.

And it ended on the last day of Jammu and Kashmir's existence as a state. On Thursday, the state will be bifurcated into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

MEP from Poland Ryszard Czarnecki said the international media coverage on Kashmir seems biased.

"Once we go back to our countries we will inform them of what we saw," the leader from the Prawo i Sprawiedliwosc party said.

Newton Dunn from the Liberal Democrat party in the UK described the visit as an "eye-opener".

"We belong to a place in Europe which is peaceful after years of fighting. And we want to see India becoming the most peaceful country in the world. And for that, we need to stand by India in its fight against global terrorism. This visit has been an eye-opener and we would definitely advocate what we have seen on ground zero," he told reporters.

Thierry Mariani, a member of the Rassemblement National party in France, told the media he had been to India many times and this visit was not to interfere in the internal matter of India but to get first-hand knowledge of the ground situation in Kashmir.

"Terrorists can destroy a country. I have been to Afghanistan and Syria and I have seen what terrorism has done. We stand with India in its fight against terrorism," he said.

"By calling us fascists, our image has been tarnished. It's better that one should know about us properly before tarnishing our image," he added, referring to some media reports.

The visit is also under stringent attack from the opposition, with several leaders not being allowed to go beyond the Srinagar airport from August 5 on, and also the Shiv Sena, the BJP's ally in Maharashtra.

Isn't the EU delegation's visit an "external invasion" of India's independence and sovereignty, asked an editorial in the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' wondered.   When Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was still criticised for taking the issue to the UN , why were the EU parliamentarians allowed to visit Kashmir, it sought to know.

The team originally comprised 27 parliamentarians but four did not travel to Kashmir and reportedly returned to their respective countries, officials said without divulging any reason.

The team arrived here on Tuesday to a complete shutdown, blockades, stone-pelting and clashes between people and security forces in several parts of the city and the Valley. Terrorists also fired at a bullet-proof, mobile bunker of the CRPF in Pulwama but there were no casualties.

On Monday, the MPs met the prime minister in Delhi.

"Their visit to Jammu and Kashmir should give the delegation a better understanding of the cultural and religious diversity of the region of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, apart from giving them a clear view of the development and government priorities of the region," a PMO statement said.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who hosted a lunch for the 27 visitors, also gave them an overview of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

A few weeks ago, a senator of the United States was denied permission to visit Kashmir.

A joint delegation of opposition MPs, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, undertaking a visit to Kashmir about two months ago, was not allowed to go beyond the Srinagar airport after their arrival from Delhi and were sent back to the national capital.