India Moves To Sensitise US Congress On Kashmir

Indo-American Community Federation, in collaboration with Kashmiri Overseas Association and USINPAC, organized a congressional briefing at Capitol Hill on October 16 on ‘Kashmir, the Way Forward. Victims of Kashmiri terrorism shared stories.

US-based civil society groups led by Indians have moved US Congressmen following attempts by some American lawmakers to bring a resolution against the Modi government’s decisions pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir. Indo-American Community Federation (IACF), in collaboration with Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA) and USINPAC, organized a congressional briefing at Capitol Hill on October 16 on ‘Kashmir, the Way Forward’, ET has learned. The objective of the briefing was to promote pluralism, reconnect and reintegrate the hearts and minds of the people of Kashmir following the removal of Articles 370 and 35A on August 5 this year. The event was sponsored by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and attended by Congressman Ro Khanna, Mike Thompson, Zoe Lofgren, Mark Desaulneir and Doris Matsui. The chairman of the House of Foreign Relations Committee Elliot Engel also attended the event. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo in her opening statement stressed that India and the US, the two largest democracies in the world, need to work to strengthen democracies. The event was also attended by a large number of congressional staff, Indian-Americans and Kashmiri Pandits. Shakun Malik, president of Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA), talked about the plight of Kashmiri Pandits and the discrimination faced by Kashmiri women, minorities and weaker sections of the society due to Articles 370 and 35A.