New York Convention Proposes Formation of Kashmir Senate for Representative Character
Kashmir Global Council (KGC) hosted a one-day Kashmir Convention on Sunday, 22nd December 2019 at Marriott LaGuardia Hotel in New York City, USA. Kashmiris from all over North America, representing Kashmir Valley as well as Azad Jammu & Kashmir, attended the event to express their thoughts on the recent events in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
Since decades, there has been a sustained onslaught and aggression on Kashmir and its people, its identity and culture, its land and resources. Kashmiris have been deprived of their universally accepted human, civil, and political rights. In the past months, Indian aggression has taken extreme shapes with mass political and civil arrests, unilateral revocation of laws and rights, and extreme communication blackouts.
The discussion at the Convention centered around the political struggle of the people of Kashmir to end their occupation. Participants focused on identifying the problems, defining a clear narrative, overcoming the obstacles, and breaking new grounds. KGC Board members stated that after the unilateral changes made by India on 5th August, Kashmir technically stood as an independent but annexed country as links with Indian constitution have been severed. Many participants reiterated the need for Kashmiris to unite behind an independent Kashmir narrative, to preserve the territorial integrity of Kashmir, and to work collectively to present those perspectives to the world.
The participants exchanged ideas on strengthening the representation and leadership of Kashmiris and proposed the formation of a Kashmir Senate which would give a representative character to the people of Kashmir on the global stage. The participants agreed to have KGC create a sub-committee that would study this idea, reach out to wider Kashmiri diaspora organizations for consultation, discuss with the leadership on the ground in Kashmir and Azad Jammu & Kashmir for their perspective, and draft a blueprint for future discussions.
The participants also agreed to reconvene in three months to discuss the next steps as well as coordinate action with wider Kashmiri diaspora.
KGC would like to thank the attendees, volunteers, and well-wishers for their support and would like to invite all Kashmiris around the world to work together in our pursuit of an independent Kashmir.
Board of Directors
Kashmir Global Council
This press release can also be found in PDF format.
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