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Canada’s Modi Supporters distasteful choice of words in response to legitimate Human Rights violations in Kashmir
8-21-2019
A brief encounter at the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir turned sour, when a Council member of the temple used some not very kind words at an Omni Reporter and Leader of The federal NDP Jagmeet Singh.
Parshotam Goel Council Member of Laxmi Narayan Temple did not take a question on Human rights abuses in Kashmir by the current ‘fascist’, ‘supremacist’ Indian Govt. lead by the Hindutva Right Wing leader Modi kindly. In his reply to Haroon Ghaffar, a reporter with Omni news who posed the question Goel replied, “We do not recognize selective definition of Human rights, the person who raised selective voice that person should not be here.”
He further said, "Iam angry with you because you never raised the question about 500,000 Hindus. He further said, “I don’t give a damn about that kind of journalist.”
Haroon was covering a Press invite by the Federation of Hindu Temples and Associations of BC and Hindu Sikh Forum of North America which categorically stated in the invite “Press Conference in support of Govt. of India 's decision to abrogate article 370 and 35 A.”
The press brief said, “The provisions of Article 370 were found to be discriminatory on the basis of gender, socio-economic grouping, and place of origin, and thus incompatible with the Fundamental Rights and directive principles of India.”
Media was invited to Vedic Hindu Cultural Society at 8321-140 Street in Surrey on August 15, 2019 at 2:00pm in the temples Shanti Niketan Hall with Parshotam Goel as the contact person.
Goel also lashed out at the comments made by Jagmeet Singh, Leader of the Federal NDP on Kahsmir.
Jagmeet had stated, “We should consider Kashmiris as our brothers and sisters, and Modi Govt. is committing human rights violations in Kashmir.”
Goel said, “Such a low level talk he does, he shows his Khalistani mentality, I would specially tell general public to boycott such a mentally retarded person.”
Kashmiri sympathizers are not amused at the comments made by Goel and are Calling for Goel to apologize.
Of all the federal parties only the NDP has releases a statement on human Rights violations in Kashmir.
NDP Foreign Affairs Critic, Guy Caron (Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques), issued the following statement:
''New Democrats are deeply concerned by reports of the Indian government’s crackdown in recent days in Kashmir. The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently took steps to revoke section 370 of the Indian constitution, which granted Kashmir considerable autonomy, and moved to arrest top Kashmiri political leaders, deploy thousands of troops, impose a shutdown of telephone and internet services and restrict peaceful assembly.
Like Amnesty International and other civil society groups, we are troubled by such actions, which provide fertile ground for more human rights abuses in a region where the people of Kashmir regularly suffer abuses such as excessive force, arbitrary detention and the lack of due process, and communications blackouts.
The Liberal government must find the courage to firmly communicate these human rights concerns to Indian authorities. We must always have a foreign policy that is based on human rights and international law, not one that pays lip service to a “rules-based international order” without actually standing up for those rules.''
In an article New York times states that, "2,000 Kashmiris — including business leaders, human rights defenders, elected representatives, teachers, and students as young as 14 — were rounded up by the federal security forces."
Footnotes: Footnotes: 2,000 Kashmiris — including business leaders, human rights defenders, elected representatives, teachers, and students as young as 14 — were rounded up by the federal security forces
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