“Stop dreaming of Separating Kashmir from India”-Sushma Swaraj

September 27, 2016 11:42
“Stop dreaming of Separating Kashmir from India”-Sushma Swaraj

Sushma Swaraj India's Minister of External Affairs who addressed the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Monday, advised Islamabad to abandon its dream of separating Kashmir from India.

Upon this statement, Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) spokesperson Mohammed Nafees Zakaria questioned Sushma Swaraj "if Kashmir is an integral part of India, why is it on the Agenda of Security Council?"

"Strange that Indian EAM is disowning the UNSC resolutions and that too at the United Nations. Can Indian EAM explain that if Kashmir is an integral part of India, why is it on the Agenda of Security Council," tweeted Zakaria within a few hours after the EAM concluded her speech?

Mohammed Nafees Zakaria Tweets
Zakaria continued to tweet after Swaraj showed Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaj Sharif a mirror. She said that “those accusing others of human rights violations would do well to introspect and see what egregious abuses they are perpetrating in their own country, including in Balochistan.”

Zakaria said, "Indian EAM's reference to Pakistan's province of Balochistan is a violation of UN principles and international law."

Mohammed Nafees Zakaria Tweets
Pakistan MoFA spokesperson further tweeted, "Reference to Balochistan is a continuous admission by India of its involvement in subversive activities in Pakistan."

Mohammed Nafees Zakaria Tweets
Zakaria said, "India trying to divert world attention from its atrocities on defenseless Kashmiris, but her efforts will not succeed."

Mohammed Nafees Zakaria Tweets
India Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup, however, defended Swaraj's speech at the UNGA as well-measured and fitting.
 
Swarup tweeted saying “she has expressed New Delhi's vision on all those issues which are crucial to the international community.”

Vikas Swarup Tweets
Swarup told media that "As you know that our Foreign Minister gives to the point answer and her today's statement was well-measured and fitting, and she expressed India's vision on all those issues that are crucial to the international community".

"Moreover, she has said the countries fostering terrorism, financing them and providing them with weapons do not have any place in the international community which, in my opinion, was a very important and powerful message that she delivered today," he added.

When asked whether he thought that Pakistan was isolated on the international platform, Swarup said, "That is evident. As you have seen when the Pakistan Prime Minister delivered his speech, his speech got no comments in their support; whereas there is a consensus in the world on India's statement on terrorism and there is a common consensus that fighting terrorism is, at present, utmost necessary."

“On Balochistan also, the Foreign Minister commented on the atrocities committed there”, he said.

Here is the Speech of Sushma Swaraj Given at UNGA

Hon'ble President,

On behalf of India and on my own behalf, I congratulate you on your election as President of the 71st United Nations General Assembly. Let me also take this opportunity to thank Secretary General Ban Ki Moon for his services to the United Nations, history's largest peace movement.

A year has passed since I stood here at this hallowed podium to address the members of the international community. Since then, much has changed in the world around us – some for the better, some for the worse and much which has been cause of great concern. There can be no better platform to ponder our actions and our achievements over the last year. We must remember that we will be defined not just by our actions, but equally, by our inaction.

A number of issues have been debated in this august Assembly - from the necessity of global partnerships in sharing new vaccines and promoting access to affordable drugs to counter anti-microbial resistance, to the need for faster implementation of the Sendai Framework to mitigate the risk of natural disasters. From the challenge of ensuring well-ordered mobility of productive human resources, to the necessity of adequate consultations with Troop Contributing Countries before framing mandates for UN Peacekeeping Operations. But my time is limited. I would therefore, focus only on some of the most pressing issues facing the international community.

The true challenge of our time is to end the curse of harsh poverty that still lurks in so many corners of our world; to ensure that the fruits of growing prosperity reach those who need it most; to take forward the mission of gender equality and protect women where there is gender regression; and to ensure peace across boundaries, not least because there can be no prosperity without peace.

I congratulate you for the priority you have given to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by making them the theme for the 71st UNGA. I am happy that the 17 goals adopted by this Assembly are matched by the development vision of my Government, which is geared towards the achievement of these same objectives. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Campaign), more than 400,000 toilets have been constructed in schools. The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (Educate the Girl Child, Save the Girl Child) programme has become a nation-wide mission. The Make in India brand is receiving international acclaim. Almost 250 million bank accounts have been opened for the poor under the Jan Dhan Yojana, the largest financial inclusion programme the world has ever seen. Digital India is transforming the country. Under the Skill India initiative, a number of programmes are underway to enable youth to reap the demographic dividend. These initiatives have added a new dimension to India's growth story, making it the fastest growing major economy in the world at a time of slow global growth.

We are all aware that 1/6th of humanity lives in India. Therefore global success in realizing SDGs depends on the success achieved in India. We are committed to the wholehearted implementation of the Agenda 2030 as a national effort. We have decided to dedicate one day in each session of our Parliament for discussions only on SDGs. This will enable us to constantly monitor their progress and this will give us good results.

However, in a globalised world, national effort needs to be supplemented by international cooperation for the successful implementation of Agenda 2030.

Climate change is yet another serious challenge confronting us. There are enough resources on this planet to fulfil everyone's needs, but not enough to fulfil anyone's greed, for greed is limitless. In this context PM Modi has championed a new concept - Climate Justice. If we respect nature, nature will respect and nurture us and future generations. But, if we exploit nature mindlessly, then we must be mindful that nature will unleash its fury upon us. In different parts of the world, we have already seen nature drift towards the unnatural - from torrential rain to excessive heat, from tsunamis to storms and cloudbursts.

 

Also Read: Sushma meets Brics, holds trilateral with Japan and US

BY M. DIVYA SRI

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