Kashmir talk to go ahead in Wellington despite venue change
An educational talk on the political situation in Kashmir will still go ahead despite hosting rights being pulled.
The talk had been scheduled for the grand hall at Parliament on Tuesday night, but now it will be at the Loaves and Fishes Hall at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, across the road.
The organisers of the event, called “India’s recent unilateral actions in Kashmir”, claim MPs did a u-turn so the talk couldn’t be held at Parliament.
Kashmir, a disputed territory between India and Pakistan, has been in lockdown since August 5 after it was stripped of its autonomy.
Event organiser Craig Prichard said he received an email from Winston Peter’s office which advised MPs not to be involved in the event because organisers were taking a strong position on Kashmir.
“Attendance by a minister/MP could be construed as the New Zealand Government taking a strong position in favour of one side of the conflict in Kashmir and this is not the case,” the email stated.
But Prichard said the meeting, which involves members of Manawatū’s Pakistani community, was not about pushing an agenda.
“We were trying to draw attention to the current situation in Kashmir, which has been for the last four months, not trying to draw the New Zealand Government into a dispute.”
Peters’ office was yet to respond to a request for comment.
Organiser Mohammad Shuaib said he asked speaker Trevor Mallard’s office in October to book the grand hall and organised for National MP David Bennett to be the host.
Shuaib invited all MPs and received a reply confirming the booking. Mallard couldn’t attend, but gave his best wishes. He also invited diplomats, including the Indian High Commission, to allow them to give their point of view.
“I sent an email to the Indian High Commission to allay their fears that it was not against India. It was an intellectual discussion.”
Shuaib said Bennett later withdrew his support so he asked Parliament if he could host it privately, which would have cost $2000. He then received an email from Mallard’s office asking why the event was still being advertised when it had been cancelled.
Organisers then moved it across the road to the cathedral.
Mallard has declined to comment.
A spokeswoman for Bennett said he was asked by a constituent to book a venue at Parliament, which he did, and he was not the host of the event.
“The booking required speaker’s approval, which was not granted.”
The Indian High Commission’s second secretary Paramjeet Singh said the embassy was aware of the event, but declined the invitation fearing it would be anti-India due to the topic for discussion.
He said the high commission had already made its feelings clear about the situation in Kashmir.
“We have put up about five flyers which detail the situation and how it has been completely peaceful.”
Singh said the high commission had not pressured anyone else to not attend.
“Whether we wanted to attend or not, how can we stop others from attending, it’s a free country. People have freedom of expression.”
Shuaib, originally from Pakistan, but said the situation in Kashmir was not about rival countries.
“My main interest is from the human rights angle and for anybody who’s voice has been curtailed by anybody from anywhere.”
This was published in stuff.co.nz on 16-Dec-2019
