Seven MPs from the Conservative Party have re-launched a group called ‘The Conservative Friends of Kashmir’ two weeks back, to campaign for self-determination in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Tory MPs in the group include Paul Bristow, James Daly, Jack Brereton, Steve Baker, Mark Eastwood, Sarah Britcliffe and Antony Higginbotham. The MPs represent constituencies with significant Pakistani populations and Jack Brereton, James Daly and Paul Bristow are also members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Kashmir (APPGK), chaired by Labour MP, Debbie Abrahams.
In a tweet the forum said, “We have re-launched the Conservative Friends of Kashmir. We campaign for self-determination and an end to human rights abuses in Kashmir and Jammu. There is growing support for our cause amongst Conservative MPs and activists. Follow us and our work!”
The action has outraged the Indian diaspora, especially the Hindus in the UK, many who have taken to the social media to voice their displeasure and anger.
How did the Conservative party become the voice of Indians in the UK?
The Labour party was the natural choice for Indian immigrants, as they came to the UK and settled since India’s independence in 1947. Many believe it was driven by the emotion that the party was instrumental to the independence movement of India and its subsequent success.
Fast forward by 63 years, David Cameron became the Prime Minister of Britain in 2010 and changed the very way Indians looked at the party, making it a natural choice for the diaspora, especially the Hindus.
The highly educated, upwardly mobile voters became more willing to give Conservative party its support. There have many studies thereafter and each established how the vote share within the broader diaspora is steadily on the rise.
Reportedly, there has been strategic efforts to woo Indian voters, who make up a significant proportion of the voters in marginal London constituencies for example: Harrow East and Hendon as well as “swing” votes in towns such as Watford and Milton Keynes, as the mainstream newspapers like The Daily Telegraph pointed out.
One of these conscious efforts was to emphasise on the importance of UK-India relations, especially ‘welcoming’ Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi- who has been loved and celebrated as a leader by the diaspora, ever since his days as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
In 2015, the Wembley Stadium roared with applauds, as the then Prime Minister David Cameron and PM Narendra Modi, walked up to the stage to address the 40,000 Indian diaspora.
Mr Cameron even mastered a few Gujarati words and became a regular visitor of the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple in Neasden with wife Samantha. He openly called himself Britain’s first ever ‘British Asian Prime Minister’, in an exclusive interview with Asian Voice.
But with Jeremy Corbyn as the leader of the Labour party and the ‘culture shift’ within the party, the movement of British Indian and Hindu voters towards the Conservative party increased. The last nail on the coffin was a motion at the Labour party conference in 2019, which condemned the “recent actions of the Government of India to revoke Article 370 in Kashmir.” What the party failed to understand and agree on was that India’s internal matters were not for them to comment on.
Sir Kier Starmer, the new Labour leader and London’s Deputy Mayor for Business Rajesh Agrawal, the co-chair of Labour Friends of India are believed to be trying their best to set the wrongs right- result perhaps only time will tell.
But this fraction of Conservative party members and MPs taking on the same lines as the Labour party under Jeremy Corbyn has obviously raised much concerns among the diaspora, which has been unequivocally supporting the party in the last one decade.
Reaction from the party members, MPs and Peers
Cllr Reena Ranger OBE and Cllr Ameet Jogia, co-Chairs, Conservative Friends of India told Asian Voice, "The Conservative Friends of India, along with our Patrons, Members and the wider Indian diaspora were naturally very disappointed to learn about the formation of the Conservative Friends of Kashmir. We have been in contact with the Chairman of the Conservative Party to express our concerns and the concerns of our members. This group is not an official or affiliated Conservative Party group. We remain in conversation with the Party Chairman and will keep our members updated. We have received significant support and solidarity from many MPs, whom clearly support the policy work and ethos of CF India.”
Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East, that has a huge Indian population, told the newsweekly, “I was extremely concerned to see the reformation of the so-called ‘Conservative Friends of Kashmir’ group. This group fails to even recognise the existence of the State of Jammu & Kashmir, which is viewed as an integral part of India. Jammu and Kashmir are internationally recognised as a state of India and we do not have any other ‘Conservative Friends’ that represent other areas of India.
“Indeed, Party policy is that security in Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter for India and I have previously written to the Prime Minister regarding the issue and he re-iterated Party policy on Jammu and Kashmir both in writing and also on the floor of the House of Commons.
“As a result of the reformation of this group, I have immediately written to the Conservative Party Chairman to object in the strongest of terms any recognition being given by the Conservative Party to this group. There already exists the Conservative Friends of India and a Conservative Friends of Pakistan groups and I believe that the creation of this group will cause severe tensions between these existing groups – which have co-existed without any significant conflict thus far. It is Government and Party policy that any territorial or border disputes between India and Pakistan are a strictly bilateral matter.
“Many colleagues and I strongly believe that should this group be recognised by the Party it will set an extremely unhelpful precedent and open the door to other equally unfavourable groups such as ‘Conservative Friends of Khalistan’ and will undo all the work I and colleagues have done to encourage the 1.5 million diaspora that were left without a political home following the 2019 Labour Party Conference.”
Lord Dolar Popat, one of the most-popular Indian peers told us, “The news regarding the formation of the Conservative Friends of Kashmir was quite a surprise to many party members. However, it is important to note that this group is not an official registered or affiliated group of the Conservative party and hence it does not reflect the views of the party. As the Founding Chairman of CF India, having launched the organisation with David Cameron in 2012, I hope that this group does not overshadow the tremendous strides we have made in bridging the gap between the party and the British Indian community. The Conservative party remains the national home for the British Indian community as we share similar values of hard work, enterprise, education and family; values which we continue to champion.”
Lord Jitesh Gadhia, the youngest Conservative peer from the community said, “It is regrettable that a tiny minority of Conservative MPs (7 out of 364) have set up this fringe group pandering to their local constituency interests - which undermines our diplomatic relations with the world’s largest democracy and alienates the British Indian diaspora. This is crude vote bank politics at its worst. However, this group is not officially recognised, and it doesn’t change government policy. We shouldn’t give this unauthorised group any further oxygen of publicity.”
Lord Rami Ranger CBE, the newest Conservative peer told the newspaper, "I am saddened to learn that a few maverick Conservative Members of Parliament have relaunched the ‘Conservative Friends of Kashmir’ unofficially to satisfy Kashmiri voters in their constituencies. These Conservative Friends of Kashmir will attack India on her human rights record when they should know that the Government of India takes human rights as sacrosanct, and the constitution guarantees equality to all regardless of their race, religion and gender. The heart of governance is the rule of law with greater emphasis on human freedom.
"The fact of the matter is that Pakistan has instigated the unrest in Kashmir after unsuccessfully trying to occupy Kashmir through 4 full-blown bloody wars. It is common knowledge that Pakistan is a sponsor of international terrorism and a haven for banned terrorist groups.
“Pakistani Army is known to offer lavish hospitalities and then conveniently ask these Parliamentarians to compromise their democratic principles of upholding equality where everyone is equal regardless of race, religion and gender.
"Kashmiris are free to form political Parties and elect leaders of their choice and run Kashmir as they deem fit. However, they are not allowed to use religion to make their fellow Kashmiris and women second class at a stroke. It is time Kashmiris are encouraged to coexist and live in harmony like they do in every civilised country rather than trying to divide themselves and the nations based on their faith.
"If religion had the strength to unite, then Bangladesh would still be a part of Pakistan, and every Muslim country would accord free movement of Muslims in their countries. Sadly, the reality is somewhat different. People always unite for a wrong cause of smash and grab, and once the reason is not there, then they turn on each other. More importantly, religion is a force for good. It is to unite humanity and not divide like the Pakistanis are doing.
"These misguided Tory MPs should know that India shares common values and ethos with the United Kingdom, unlike Pakistan, which is a religious State and systematically discriminate against her population based on religion and gender. Pakistani constitution does not accord equality to every citizen as it promotes people based on faith and not merit.
"These MPs should appreciate that the Conservative party has evolved over a century with the visions and dedication of our great leaders like Margaret Thatcher and the British values like tolerance, equality and fair play cannot be compromised to the detriment of our next generations. Every Briton should be encouraged to keep religion a private matter and never use it to generate hatred to damage social cohesion and race relation in Britain.
"They are privileged to represent their party and our rich and diverse country and to encourage people to use religion in the absence of merit will damage Britain as well as India. They have to see how Pakistan has become intolerant over the years and how diversity is systematically being eliminated. Ahmaddiyas, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians are getting victimised daily in the name of their faith. No country can progress whilst holding back the progress of her citizens due to their belief.
"These MPs can carry on serving the legitimate interests of your constituents but must avoid undermining the rule of law in Kashmir. They should be fair and firm with their members and learn to represent every Briton and not just a handful of Kashmiris. They should learn from the Labour Friends of Kashmir how their anti-India rhetoric drove the British Indian vote to the Conservative party and help the Conservative win a majority in the last election. The British Indians now consider themselves to be true Conservatives and are abandoning the Labour party in droves. Instead of capitalising on Labour's mistake, they are following them by relaunching the ‘Conservative Friends of Kashmir’ and scoring own goals for their party and country.
"I hope good sense will prevail, and they will stop dividing their party and country by supporting a clandestine organisation which does not have the blessings of the Government or the party."
What does the diaspora have to say?
Speaking to the newspaper, Trupti Patel, President, Hindu Forum of Britain and Trustee, Hindu Forum of Britain Charity said, “The Hindu Forum of Britain (HFB) is clear that Jammu and Kashmir are an integral part of India. The systemic atrocities committed against the Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus) and all minorities by Pakistani cross border terrorism is abhorrent.
“Any politician who attempts to play politics in the UK at the expense of the victims of such hate terrorism should be rejected by all decent people. It is therefore unfortunate that a few misguided Conservative MPs have decided to create a rift within British society by setting up ‘Conservative Friends of Kashmir’.
“The HFB is delighted to note that the Conservative government and our Prime Minister has made it abundantly clear that Jammu and Kashmir are a matter for India alone. The Indian diaspora are an intelligent community and very able to discern between friend and foe. All good people should unite to seek justice for Kashmiri Pandits and all minorities in that region and in so doing, the world must reject the terrorism exported by Pakistan.
“The HFB stand with all communities who suffer 'Hate Crime ' regardless of their race, colour and class.”
The Hindu Forum of Britain is the largest umbrella body with a broad‐based membership of Hindu organisations from different regions and cultural backgrounds in Britain.
Rajnish Kashyap, General Secretary/Director, Hindu Council UK (HCUK) told Asian Voice, "Hindu Council UK condemn the self-determination movement on Kashmir launched by the Friends of Conservatives UK. It is misguided campaign and false narratives are being communicated to the UK people of Jammu & Kashmir. These politicians decide on human rights according to their vote bank – ‘whose’ human rights? No one seemed to care about the human rights of all those who were and still being killed by terrorists or the communities who had no rights during the article 370 days! What about the human rights of half a million Kashmiri Hindus who were made homeless 31 years ago, who are still homeless and has strong desire to return to their roots? They suffered ethnic cleansing!"
Satish K Sharma, General Secretary, National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) and Chair, British Board of Dharmic Scholars said, “The entirely predictable appearance of the Conservative Friends of Kashmir should be of no surprise to us, and the British Indian community should recognise it as an entirely natural and legitimate part of the democratic processes of this country. A quick glance at the demographics of their constituencies confirms that the MPs concerned clearly feel vulnerable and this development is entirely consistent with the entryism and lobbying strategy which has been so effective in misleading the rank and file of Labour party for so long.
“Rather than only expressing outrage, the British Indian community, especially in these 7 constituencies, has a great opportunity to scrutinise and robustly engage with this group. The group which I note is not a Conservative Party affiliate, may be misleading MPs, as often happens and it is in everyone’s interest to hold them accountable and to also require these MPs to adhere to the letter and the sentiment of the MPs’ Code of Conduct.
“It’s is also an excellent opportunity to educate these MPs and the wider Conservative party on the reality of the devastating ethnic and religious cleansing of non-Sunni Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs, in Kashmir and in Pakistan, matters which were so prominently and irrefutably aired at the UNGA only a few days ago.
“I view this as an invitation to our community to engage with the issue, for us to play a full, active and vitally necessary role in the democratic processes of this country, our ‘karma bhumi’, it has never been more important. The appearance of this pro-Pakistan group should also serve as a red flag to the New High Commissioner of India, Ms Gaitri Kumar. The fact that so many Conservative MPs have agreed to take a position which is so anti-India, and fraudulently so, is indicative of a clear lack of adequate diplomatic engagement and political briefing. Hopefully now that she is settling down, we will see her stamp her authority on matters and we look forward to seeing a much better quality of authentic engagement emerge.”
CB Patel, Chairman, The India League and Sardar Patel Memorial Society denounced this development and said, “It is irresponsible, divisive and dangerous attempts from an outfit of the Conservative Party. How will the party and the government feel if India creates groups like ‘Friends of Scotland’ or ‘Friends of Northern Ireland’?”
Lakshmi Kaul, a significant member and spokesperson of the Kashmiri Hindus in the UK told the newspaper, “I am confused how Conservative party in one breath says it will not interfere in India’s bilateral matters and then in the same breath floats a conservative friends of Kashmir group? I am sure the party does remember the recent victory in general elections that they themselves attributed to labour’s failure to please the Indian diaspora and for their stance of interference on Kashmir. Now why would the Conservatives wish to commit a royal suicide, close on the heels of what is a politically uncertain period, God only knows?
“When there are serious issues concerning the country and its citizens such as economy, terrorism, grooming, why is the party not focussing on domestic issues? If they are to address the elephant in the room why aren’t they setting up a ‘Friends Against Terrorism’ or better still Friends United Against Jehad? I am sure everyone is concerned about the increasing nefarious activities in the UK and radicalisation of young people?
“’Conservative Friends of Kashmir’ make the party look stupid and it seems that they had a sort of an afterthought of appeasement. Who will take them seriously like this? I certainly as a member of the party, won’t, here on.”
photo credit: Twitter
