KD NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Nov 14: In a sharply worded letter to the Oxford Union, the UK-based advocacy group INSIGHT UK has condemned the organization’s decision to host a debate titled “This House Believes in the Independent State of Kashmir” on November 14, raising serious concerns over the inclusion of speakers they allege have ties to terrorist organizations.
INSIGHT UK, representing the interests of Indian diaspora, warned that the debate poses a risk to India’s territorial integrity and may unwittingly lend legitimacy to groups with violent histories.
The letter, a copy of which is in possession of Kashmir Despatch, spotlights the two invited speakers, Mr. Muzzammil Ayyub Thakur and Mr. Zafar Khan, as individuals with concerning backgrounds. Mr. Thakur, president of the “World Kashmir Freedom Movement,” has faced charges in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly inciting violence and spreading fear.
His organization, founded by his father, has been implicated in investigations by Scotland Yard, the FBI, and the UK Charity Commission, reportedly for links to Hizbul Mujahideen, a designated terrorist group in both the United States and India. The FBI linked the organization to Pakistani intelligence funding, supporting separatist violence in Kashmir.
Insight UK’s letter also details Mr. Thakur’s social media activity, alleging instances where he mocked other faiths and appeared to approve of violent acts. One cited tweet shows Mr. Thakur responding with “good” to a report of a terrorist incident that caused civilian casualties. The letter also accuses him of associating with individuals charged for inciting violence on online platforms.
In addition, Mr. Khan, chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Diplomatic Bureau, represents an organization with a violent history, according to INSIGHT UK. The letter highlights JKLF’s roots in the UK and its past involvement in separatist violence in Kashmir, including the forced exodus of Kashmiri Hindus, also known as Pandits, in the early 1990s.
One of the JKLF’s founders, Yasin Malik, has been implicated in the kidnapping and murder of Indian government officials, including the tragic 1984 murder of Indian diplomat Ravindra Mhatre in Birmingham, a crime linked to British Kashmiri militants associated with JKLF.
The JKLF has been associated with some of the most traumatic events in Kashmir’s history, including targeted attacks against Hindu intellectuals, teachers, and poets during the 1990s, a period when separatist violence forced thousands of Hindu families from their ancestral homes. In their letter, INSIGHT UK referenced JKLF leader Farooq Ahmed Dar’s admission on video of having personally killed Kashmiri Hindus in acts of sectarian violence.
Citing a 2022 report, the letter also pointed out that the Hindu and Sikh populations in the Kashmir Valley have dwindled to less than 0.01 percent, following decades of forced displacement and violence. Temples in the region have been desecrated, and the local heritage erased, according to INSIGHT UK. They assert that allowing JKLF representatives a platform at the Oxford Union risks legitimizing the organization’s past actions and glossing over the trauma endured by the affected communities.
INSIGHT UK emphasized that by holding a debate on Kashmir’s independence, Oxford Union risks endorsing what they describe as “extremist ideologies” and “foreign-sponsored violence.” The letter urges the Oxford Union to reconsider its selection of speakers and instead focus on balanced, peaceful dialogue without legitimizing groups with alleged connections to terrorism.
As an academic institution, the Oxford Union has a responsibility to maintain neutrality and avoid endorsing violent or divisive ideologies, argued INSIGHT UK. They urged the Union to rethink its approach to such sensitive geopolitical issues, stressing that open dialogue must not become a platform for extremist voices.
The letter by INSIGHT UK awaits a formal response from the Oxford Union, which is likely to face increased scrutiny over the event in light of these serious allegations which are support by irrefutable evidence based on the writings, tweets and other endorsements of Mr Thakur.
