Kashmir G20 meeting: Pakistan's 'friends' pick propaganda over progress
The Working Group Meeting on Tourism, being held in Kashmir, is intended to demonstrate to the global fraternity that the reforms introduced by the Narendra Modi government had ushered in 'peace and prosperity' to the area and that it is a secure location for tourists. But Pakistan and its friends choose to live in denial, says Girish Linganna
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India rolled out the red carpet for G20 delegates in Kashmir and enthralled them with the vibrant culture and tradition of the region. The Working Group Meeting on Tourism, in Srinagar, was intended to demonstrate to the global fraternity that the reforms introduced by the Narendra Modi government had ushered in 'peace and prosperity' to the area and that it is a secure location for tourists.
However, in some ways, the conference has not quite hit the mark as other meetings held across the country have had. The meeting has been overshadowed by the absence of China and Saudi Arabia and a very marginal attendance by other "friends" of Pakistan.
The G20 meeting in Kashmir was the first such event since the August 2019 abrogation of Article 370 and the integration of Kashmir with the rest of the country. About 61 delegates from the majority of G20 nations attended the meeting.
China had already proposed to boycott the May 22-24 Working Group Meet on Tourism, citing its steadfast objection to 'holding any kind of G20 meetings in the disputed territory'. Last week, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin said his country opposed the G20 meetings on 'disputed territory'.
However, India shot back saying it is free to hold meetings in its own territory and that 'peace and tranquillity on the border is essential' for fostering normal ties with China.
The Chinese objection followed a statement by the UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Fernand de Varennes that 'the Government of India is seeking to normalize what some have described as a military occupation by instrumentalizing a G20 meeting and portray an international seal of approval.'
India’s UN delegation in Geneva blasted the statement as being 'without merit'. The mission emphasised that India had the right to host G20 gatherings anywhere within the country.
Nevertheless, some important members of the grouping -- all friends of Pakistan -- including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkiye, Indonesia and Mexico have abstained from the event.
Pakistan Ploy at Play in PoK
Pakistan, which is not a G20 member, criticized India's decision to hold the meeting in Kashmir and called the move 'irresponsible'. In Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, protest rallies were taken out in various cities to denounce the Srinagar meeting.
In Islamabad, the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) staged a rally and handed over a memorandum to the UN mission.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited Muzaffarabad and addressed the local legislative assembly. He, predictably, termed the G20 gathering 'illegal, and an attempt by India to seek legitimacy over its control of the disputed region'.
Meeting Within the Fortress
The three-day meeting is being held at a militarily-secure complex on the shores of the Dal Lake in Srinagar. The meeting also necessitated a significant display of security at Srinagar International Airport. The counter-drone squad and marine commandos of India's elite National Security Guard (NSG) were assisting police and paramilitary personnel in securing the event locations.
New Delhi may have expected to project an image of normality prevailing in the disputed territory with the holding of this meeting. But visuals of armoured vehicles with soldiers armed to the teeth deployed at multiple locations in Kashmir narrated another story.
Why Are Feathers Being Ruffled?
The G20 is a group of 19 rich nations of the world plus the European Union -- the premier forum for international economic cooperation. India holds the presidency of the grouping from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023, and is holding several events in various parts of the country, culminating in the G20 summit in New Delhi later this year.
Pakistan and its 'friends' have been unable to come to terms with the complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country. The decisions taken by the central government in August 2019 have ensured that rights enshrined in the Constitution of India and benefits of all the central statutes that are enjoyed by citizens in other parts of the country are now also helping the people of Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh.