“It would have been better if the EU MPs visit had happened later with a better selection of MPs,” is the view of former high commissioner to Pakistan Sharat Sabharwal, at the end of the two-day visit by 23 right-wing members of the European Parliament.In a 40-minute interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, he said the fact that nearly all of them came from right-wing, anti-immigrant, which effectively means anti-Muslim, parties would detract from the credibility of any clean chit they may have chosen to give India.He pointed out that the criticism India faces for the lockdown, restrictions and detentions in Kashmir as well as allegations of human rights violations come primarily from liberal parties. These right-wing MPs would not be effective in countering that criticism. In fact, Sabharwal suggested, any clean chit from these right-wingers could provoke further criticism from liberal parties.Also read: Mysterious Entity Behind MEPs Kashmir Visit, Srivastava Group Has Little Public PresenceWhen asked if it was a mistake to make these right-wing, anti-immigrant MPs the first foreigners permitted to visit Kashmir since August 5, Sabharwal made clear that it would have been better if the visit had happened later, when there was more normalcy in Kashmir and after Indian MPs had been permitted to visit. He also said it would have preferable if the MPs had better represented the full cross-section of political opinion in Europe. He agreed that these right-wing, anti-immigrant MPs did not gel, but clashed with or contradicted, India’s self-image as a liberal secular democracy.Speaking about Madi Sharma’s WESTT and the International Institute for Non-Aligned Studies, Sabharwal said these were small and little-known lobby groups but it was not unusual for the government to use lobbyists to project the country’s viewpoint and respond to criticism. Sabharwal said Madi Sharma’s letter of invitation to the MPs made it clear that she had some sort of link with the prime minister, otherwise how could she promise “a meeting” with him and add that he would “like to meet influential decision makers from the European Union”?Sabharwal agreed that the European MPs had only met with a carefully chosen and sanitised selection of people and added it would have been better if they could have met others who were critical of what’s happened in Kashmir. He said that would have enhanced the credibility of the visit and also added to India’s image as the world’s largest democracy.Also read: Euro MPs In, Indian MPs Out – and Democracy Down the Drain in KashmirSabharwal said if widespread reports that local Kashmiri journalists were barred from the press conference held by the European MPs at the end of their visit and only a few selected journalists permitted to attend with their questions vetted are true, “this would be undesirable”.Sabharwal repeatedly said this visit would not have been so controversial if Indian politicians had been permitted to visit Kashmir. He agreed that the paradox of carefully selected right-wing, anti-immigrant European MPs being facilitated to visit Kashmir whilst Indian politicians are barred would detract from the credibility of this visit in European eyes and in the way it is viewed by the western media.Asked if he agreed with comments made by Congress and Communist Party of Indian (Marxist) leaders that this visit has internationalised Kashmir, Sabharwal said that, in fact, that had happened in August when India changed Kashmir’s constitutional status. He pointed out that for the last 15-20 years, no one had raised questions about the accession of Kashmir or the basis of India’s sovereignty over the state. Now that debate has been rekindled in India and, inevitably, it will also echo in the western media. However, Sabharwal added that he did not think the visit of European MPs would specifically add to internationalisation of Kashmir.Also read: Doval’s Dog and Pony Show for MEPs Is a Disaster for Indian DiplomacyAfter serving as high commissioner to Pakistan, Sabharwal also served as a central information commissioner.
