Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Congressional hearing on Kashmir was one sided: Kashmiri Pandits

THE Congressional hearing on human rights situation in South Asia with a focus on Kashmir was one sided, a top organisation of Kashmiri Pandits has alleged in a letter to the Congressman who chaired the committee, saying it left out one of the indigenous races of Jammu and Kashmir against whom human rights violations have been committed for the last 30 years.

The Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA), in a letter to Brad Sherman who chaired the Congressional hearing on Tuesday (24), said that the goal of the hearing on October 22 was to bring forth "The Human Rights in South Asia".


"But the hearing failed in doing so as it left out one of the indigenous races of Jammu and Kashmir against whom human rights violations have been committed for the last 30 years.

"Without their testimony, the committee hearing promoted anti-Hindu sentiment, peddle an anti-Indian propaganda machine to appease the Muslim population in the US and or the globe," KOA alleged in the letter to Sharman, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

"Though you had invited panelists with varying perspectives, the hearing was conducted to favour a one-sided narrative which was clearly illustrated with only three of the six panelists dominating the hearing," it said.

It said senior journalist Aarti Tikoo Singh is a victim of the brutal forced exodus of Kashmiri Hindus of 1990. She was in the Valley of Kashmir a fortnight ago. She is an eyewitness of the ground situation.

"Who better to talk about the situation than her? It was clear that she was getting cut off multiple times to express herself.

"We were hopeful when you asked what happened to the 400,000 Kashmiri Pandits who left the Valley 30 years ago, but to our quick dismay, you never gave her the opportunity to expand her response. It was clear that you did not intend to hear the reality," KOA president Dr Shakun Malik and KOA Secretary Amrita Kar said in the letter.

The denial, misinformation and silence of the forced exodus of the Kashmiri Hindu community has been rampant in narratives by the press and in discussions and debates all across the US post abrogation of the articles, they said.

India on Thursday termed as "regrettable" criticism by several US Congressmen over the situation in Kashmir, and said the comments reflected a very limited understanding of the country's history and its pluralistic society.

Referring to the comments by several US lawmakers at a Congressional hearing, external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said instead of criticising New Delhi, the occasion should have been used to ascertain facts on the state-sponsored cross border terrorism in Kashmir.

(PTI)

More For You

Harry and Meghan urge tougher safeguards to protect children online

Prince Harry criticised tech companies for citing privacy laws to deny access

Getty

Harry and Meghan urge tougher safeguards to protect children online

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have called for stronger protections for children online, warning that not enough is being done to shield young people from the dangers of social media

During a visit to New York, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle unveiled a new memorial dedicated to the memory of children whose families believe harmful online content contributed to their deaths. The installation, named the Lost Screen Memorial, features 50 smartphones, each displaying an image of a child lost to what their families describe as the adverse effects of social media. The memorial was made available to the public for 24 hours.

Keep ReadingShow less
Afghan exodus soars as Pakistan deadline nears

Afghan refugees arrive at a camp near the Torkham border last Sunday (20)

Afghan exodus soars as Pakistan deadline nears

MORE than 100,000 Afghans have left Pakistan in the past three weeks, the interior ministry said on Tuesday (22), after Islamabad announced the cancellation of residence permits.

Calling Afghans “terrorists and criminals”, the Pakistan government launched its mass eviction campaign on April 1. Analysts said the expulsions are designed to pressure Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, which Islamabad blames for fuelling a rise in border attacks.

Keep ReadingShow less
Government announces funding for offshore wind supply chains

Energy secretary Ed Miliband reads a letter from Britain's King Charles III during the Future of Energy Security Summit at Lancaster House on April 24, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Tallis - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Government announces funding for offshore wind supply chains

THE government has announced an initial £300 million investment to strengthen domestic offshore wind supply chains ahead of the Comprehensive Spending Review. The funding will be distributed through Great British Energy, the country's publicly-owned clean energy company.

Prime minister Keir Starmer on Thursday (24) said the investment aims to support jobs and help the UK reach clean power by 2030.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-pahalgam-getty

'I say to the whole world: India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backer,' Modi said in his first speech since the incident.

Getty Images

Modi vows to hunt Kashmir attackers ‘to the ends of the Earth’

INDIA and Pakistan have exchanged a series of diplomatic measures after prime minister Narendra Modi blamed Pakistan for a deadly shooting in Pahalgam, Kashmir, in which 26 civilians were killed.

Modi said India would identify and punish those behind the attack and accused Pakistan of supporting cross-border terrorism.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump

Trump also announced an initiative on historically black colleges and universities and signed orders on AI education and workforce development.

Getty Images

Trump signs orders targeting university diversity policies and accreditation

DONALD TRUMP signed a set of executive orders on Wednesday aimed at US universities, focusing on foreign donations, college accreditation, and diversity and inclusion initiatives.

One order directs the federal government to enforce existing laws requiring universities to disclose large foreign gifts. Another addresses accreditation, which Trump has described as a “secret weapon.”

Keep ReadingShow less