Indian students protest outside Oxford Union over Kashmir debate | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Indian students protested outside the Oxford Union in the United Kingdom on Thursday over a debate titled ‘this house believes in the independent state of Kashmir.’
The debate, organized by the Oxford Union, the University of Oxford’s debating society, challenged the political status of Kashmir, a region historically disputed by India and Pakistan.

The protest took place against the selection of panellists by the Oxford Union. The panel for the motion included Dr. Muzzamil Ayyub Thakur, a Kashmiri who heads the Justice Foundation and the Kashmir Freedom Movement, which opposed Indian control of Kashmir, and Professor Zafar Khan, chairman of the Diplomatic Bureau of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF).
Speakers against the motion included Prem Shankar Jha, former media advisor to former Prime Minister VP Jha with experience at the United Nations, the World Bank and the Hindustan Times, Yusuf Kundgol and Siddhant Nagrath.

The Oxford Union wrote in an Instagram post: “The Kashmir issue, a parting gift from British colonial rule, has roiled the subcontinent since 1947, leading to multiple wars. in the region’s quest for self-determination and autonomy This has led to continued unrest, human rights concerns and a renewed demand for autonomy among Kashmiris, as nuclear-armed neighbors struggle for control and geopolitics Under the influence, the desire for peace among the population strong. Could an independent Kashmir be the answer to this ongoing crisis?

INSIGHT UK, a British Hindu group, formally objected to the debate. In a statement on The invitation of speakers with alleged links to terrorism is particularly alarming and raises serious questions about the integrity of this debate.”