On the 14th of November, the Oxford Union organised an anti-India event within the Oxford University premises where the attendees included two notorious Islamists – ISI mouthpiece Muzzammil Ayyub Thakur and Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Zafar Khan. They were invited to debate over the “independence” of Kashmir, which is an integral part of India. Strikingly, the JKLF has been banned under the stringent anti-terror law, UAPA.
The debate was titled, “The House Believes in the Independent State of Jammu and Kashmir.” However, since the debate title infringed on India’s sovereignty, it sparked outrage among the Indian student fraternity who staged a massive protest. They strongly protested against the Oford union’s move to invite two Islamist speakers.
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In response to the anti-India event, several Indian students along with the members of INSIGHT UK, an advocacy group representing British Hindus and Indians, staged a protest outside the Oxford Union. The protesting students raised slogans like “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, “Vande Mataram” and “Jammu Kashmir Was India, Jammu Kashmir is India, Jammu Kashmir will be India”.
Condemning the Union for hosting speakers with terrorist connections, they also chanted the slogan, “It is known far and wide, Oxford Union stands on the terrorist side”.
The Indian Students also wrote a letter to the Oxford Union where they stated that they felt “distressed and threatened” by the invitation to these figures, who have links with terrorism and extremism.
The students specifically highlighted the role of Zafar Khan, Chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), a designated terrorist organization. They pointed out the 1984 kidnapping and murder of Indian diplomat Ravindra Mhatre in Birmingham, carried out by terrorists associated with the same JKLF Zafar Khan is a chairman of. The students also mentioned the role of JKLF in the 1990 exodus of Kashmiri Hindus.
Furthermore, the students raised concerns over Muzzammil Ayyub Thakur, who is the president of the “World Kashmir Freedom Movement” and co-founder of “Mercy Universal,” both of which have been investigated for their ties to terrorist activities.
Muzzammil himself has been accused of inciting violence and hate speech, and he was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by Indian authorities in May 2022 for anti-national activities.
In their letter, the students categorically stated that Jammu and Kashmir has been an integral part of India since its legal and constitutional accession in 1947, a status recognized by the United Nations and the international community. They stated that any debate questioning Kashmir’s status was an interference in India’s sovereignty.
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𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐎𝐱𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐧 𝐎𝐱𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦
Indian students at Oxford University have voiced strong opposition to the Oxford… pic.twitter.com/cDkwUYDPac
— INSIGHT UK (@INSIGHTUK2) November 14, 2024
The letter reads “We, the Indian students in Oxford feel distressed and threatened by the Oxford Union’s invitation to Mr. Zafar Khan and Mr. Muzzamil Ayyub persons with links to terrorist organisations to speak at the Union. Mr. Zafar Khan is the Chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Diplomatic Bureau. Jammu-Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), which is a designated terrorist organisation.”
It added, “In 1984 an Indian diplomat, Ravindra Mhatre, was kidnapped and murdered in Birmingham. He was abducted whilst on an errand. After a few days of being held in captivity his lifeless body was discovered sprawled on a Birmingham street. This terrorist crime that took place in a major UK city was executed by ‘militants’ linked to the latterly named Jammu-Kashmir Liberation Front. In January 1990, the largest and latest flight of the minority Kashmiri Hindus from the Indian state of Jammu Kashmir was instigated by JKLF.”
The letter emphasised that Muzammil is the president of the “World Kashmir Freedom Movement” which along with another organisation called “Mercy Universal”, was founded by his father and investigated by Scotland Yard, the Charity Commission, and the FBI for ties with terrorists.”
Regarding Jammu and Kashmir, the letter stressed, “Moreover, Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. The United Nations and the international community have also recognised Kashmir’s status that since its legal and constitutional accession to India in 1947, Jammu and Kashmir has been a part of the Indian state. Hence any debate that questions its status as an integral part of India is, by extension, an interference in India’s sovereignty.”
Slamming the Oxford Union for inviting Islamists, the letter continued, “We as Indian students in Oxford are distressed and threatened that persons with terror links are invited to speak at Oxford Union, and that Oxford Union is interfering with the sovereignty of India. Academic institutions should uphold neutrality and serve as platforms for diverse perspectives. However, it is crucial that these spaces are not exploited to promote terrorist and extremist ideologies or challenge the sovereignty of nations.”
Allowing such actions sets a risky precedent, particularly in higher education, which should be devoted to fostering peace, understanding, and productive dialogue, the letter further stated.
Indian student Adarsh Mishra stands up at the @OxfordUnion debate to expose terror organisation JKLF as mass murderer of Kashmiri Pandits and a Pakistani ISI stooge.
Indian students protest, carry out signature campaigns.
Great show of courage. pic.twitter.com/jCMxpBB5Bs— Abhijit Majumder (@abhijitmajumder) November 15, 2024
Nonetheless, a video is now doing rounds on social media in which an Indian student can be seen confronting the Oxford Union for running the anti-India propaganda debate. In the viral video, an Indian student at Oxford, Adarsh Mishra could be heard highlighting that JKLF is a terrorist organisation with a documented history of violence against innocent citizens.
Despite being in the audience with sympathisers of terrorism, Mishra also mentioned the role of JKLF in the genocide of the Kashmiri Pandits and a Hindu Government official Ravindra Mhatre in Birmingham.
