New Delhi: India has rejected references to Jammu and Kashmir in the resolution of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) that condemned changes to the erstwhile state’s constitutional statues and issuance of domicile certificate to non-locals.
“We strongly and categorically reject the factually incorrect, gratuitous and unwarranted references to India in resolutions adopted by the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) at the 47th CFM Session in Niamey, Republic of Niger, held on 27-28 November 2020,” said a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday.
The resolution on Kashmir was part of the “political resolutions” that are approved every year by the Islamic bloc during their annual gathering. There have been resolutions on Kashmir nearly every year in recent past, including when India had been the guest of honour at the 2019 meeting in the United Arab Emirates.
“We have always maintained that OIC has no locus standi in matters strictly internal to India, including that of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral and inalienable part of India,” said the press release.
India also claimed that the OIC was being “used” for propaganda by Pakistan, while not naming the South Asian neighbour. “It is regrettable that OIC continues to allow itself to be used by a certain country, which has an abominable record on religious tolerance, radicalism and persecution of minorities, to indulge in anti-India propaganda. We strongly advise the OIC to refrain from making such references in future.”
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As mentioned earlier, OIC issues resolutions on a number of topics every year, including on Kashmir. The MEA dismisses these resolutions on Kashmir every year.
Compared to its statement in 2019, India has used much stronger language this year. It also marks the return of language referring to the OIC’s lack of ‘local standi’ in an MEA statement, after it was skipped last year.
Except in 2019, India’s statements in previous years had always mentioned that OIC had “no local standi” and asked for the group to “refrain” from commenting on Kashmir. It is clear that New Delhi had muted its response last year in deference to the special invitation to India.
Sushma Swaraj speaking at the OIC meet in March 2019. Photo: PTI/Files
In March 2019, India had been invited to the annual gathering for the first time and then external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had addressed the inaugural plenary in Abu Dhabi. Pakistan had boycotted the event claiming that India had “no legal or moral grounds to be present at the meeting”.
Two months after the March meeting, India had again employed the phrase to respond to the final communique issued after the Islamic Summit at Saudi Arabia in 2019.
The latest OIC political resolution on the “Jammu and Kashmir dispute” calls on India to rescind the constitutional changes introduced on August 5 last year, describing the move as “illegal and unilateral”. It also stated that India should cancel the issues of domicile certificates to people from outside the union territory.
Pakistan will become the next chair of the OIC council of foreign ministers, as it has been chosen as the host of the next meeting in 2021.
