Biden asks India to restore rights of Kashmiri people, end restrictions

(Karachi) Former vice president Joe Biden has asked India to restore rights of the people of Kashmir and end restrictions in occupied valley. He also expressed disappointment over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act as well as the implementation of the National Register of Citizens in Assam.

According to his policy paper agenda for Muslim American community’ posted recently on his campaign website, it said the Indian government should take all necessary steps to restore rights of all people of Kashmir.

The paper stated that India's move to implement the CAA and the National Register of Citizens are against ethnic and religious democracy. He termed the Kashmir issue and NRC in Assam as discrimination towards Muslims and minorities.

It maintained that imposing restrictions, preventing peaceful protests and shutting or slowing down the internet is against democratic norms and weakens democracy.

"Joe Biden has been disappointed by the measures that the government of India has taken with the implementation and aftermath of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam and the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act into law," the policy paper said.

The Indian government adopted the Citizenship Law after amending the 1955 law to grant citizenship to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Christians, Sikhs and Parsis facing persecution in other countries but it does not include the Muslim community that has been in majority in India.

India revoked Kashmir's special status on August 5, 2019 that led to protests and killings of innocent Kashmiris in the valley.

The people of Kashmir have been living under curfew-like conditions for over 10 months now.

Normal life remains crippled in the occupied valley as military lockdown has cost the territory’s economy worth billions over the past several months.

Amid continued military siege, internet and mobile phone services are shut down, public transport is off the roads, and business establishments are shut while schools and offices continue to wear a deserted look.

The lockdown has rendered more than 50,000 workers jobless while there is also a shortage of skilled labour in occupied Kashmir, as some 400,000 migrants have left since India imposed undeclared martial law in occupied Kashmir on August 5.

Similarly, in December 2019, the Indian government adopted the Citizenship Law after amending the 1955 law to grant citizenship to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Christians, Sikhs and Parsis facing persecution in other countries but it does not include the Muslim community that has been in majority in India.