Daily Diary (DD) - Day 267 of 2021

2237hrs:

A hectic day yesterday.....the chances of blogging an entry yesterday fizzled out without notice. I didn't realise until it was already about half an hour past midnight.

.....

While we were condoling the passing of Sabir Ansari - advocate and veteran of the JKLF movement - at a reference held in his honour in Mirpur yesterday, there was a back bench debate on 'Human Rights: Kashmir' taking place in the House of Commons in London.

One speech that stood out for its pointed references to Britain's responsibilities was that of Zarah Sultana, Labour MP for Coventry South:

Particular passages from her speech were noted as follows:

(Minutes) 1:46 - 2:17

Mr Deputy Speaker, human rights abuses in Kashmir are not simply some issue of foreign policy of which Britain can wash its hands of responsibility, nor are they a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan to resolve. This House has a special responsibility for the plight of the Kashmiri people. In 1947, as the colonial power the British government oversaw partition of the Indian sub-continent and rejected calls for Kashmiri independence. That decision laid the groundwork for the oppression we see in Kashmir today. 

Here's a link to the text generated for the whole debate.