NEW DELHI: India indicated that a visit to Kashmir by any United Nations official to assess the current situation there would be viewed as interference in the country’s internal affairs.
An indication of India’s stand emerged from comments of a spokesman of the Indian external affairs ministry in response to reports from Kashmir’s summer capital, Srinagar, on an announcement by one of the UN military observers that a top UN official would visit the state to assess the current situation.
“We are in broad agreement with what Kashmir government spokesman had said earlier,” the spokesman told newsmen.
The Jammu and Kashmir government spokesman had said, “No U.N. official had any legal or moral right to interfere in the internal affairs of the state, which is an integral part of the Indian union.”
Meanwhile diplomatic sources here said neither India’s permanent representative in the UN nor the office of the UN secretary general had any knowledge of the visit of any UN official and added that even if someone came, he would not be allowed into the state.
Meanwhile a high level delegation of major parties has gone to Srinagar to study the situation.
The decision to send the delegation which includes Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, Congress (I) chief Rajiv Gandhi and leaders of left parties and the rightist BJP was taken at a high level all party meeting on the Kashmir situation.
The five hour meeting in which the former chief minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah also participated was chaired by Prime Minister V.P Singh.
Ina joint statement, the participants expressed determination to defend the unity and integrity of the country sinking their ideological differences. Meanwhile, refugees from Kashmir, led by the Delhi based Kashmiri samiti (society), on Thursday held a protest march at Boat Club here demanding immediate steps for their rehabilitation and restoration of law and order in the state.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 16, 1990
