Bilal Bashir Bhat
Srinagar, Dec 22 (KNB): The people in Kashmir from different shades of life Friday welcomed India’s clear-cut rejection by voting against the United States decision on Jerusalem’s status at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The UNGA on Thursday adopted by a decisive vote of 128 to 9, with 35 abstentions, a motion rejecting the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Terming the India’s stand at UN as ‘proud’ Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said the India’s vote reaffirms our stand & support to Palestine. “Very proud to see that India joined over 100 countries at the UN to vote against recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. This vote further reaffirms our stand & support to Palestine,” Mehbooba Tweeted.
Expressing his satisfaction over the resolution passed in the United Nations General Assembly, Hurriyat (M) Chairman and Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the majority vote in UNGA has proved that US president Donald Trump decision was unilateral, partial and anti-Palestine. He said the majority vote in UNGA in favour of Palestine has left Trump in isolated and vindicated the just cause of Palestinians, adding, long pending disputes of Palestine and Kashmir are the two hot issues of the present times and its the moral responsibility of world community especially UNGA to take concrete steps to resolve both the issues for the human good.
Former Chief Minister of the state Omar Abdullah, while tweeting over India’s stand at UN against US said, “I called this one wrong in the morning. Well done MEA for not taking the easy/safe option of abstaining like the 35 others. Donald Trump’s threat backfired spectacularly.”
Pertinently, despite the U.S.’s unethical oppression and threats of to cut funding to countries that back the measure, the international community showed that it remains committed to U.N. resolutions and international law on Jerusalem. A total of 128 members voted in favor of the resolution, nine countries voted against it and 35 others abstained.
“The India’s stand at UNGA is indeed a great feat. It depicts that India that has been pioneer of non aligned movement still takes an independent stance on issues of universal importance. India by favoring UNGA resolution once again shows that the legacy of standing for oppressed people has not died down in Indian foreign policy, though internal people’s movements for justice, self determination and political rights may be trampled through iron fist policy but the policy of standing with the wretched of the earth has not died down completely in India” said Mushtaq ul Haq Sikandar, a prominent young writer and activist from Srinagar while talking to Kashmir News Bureau.
Senior Awami Action Committee leader Advocate Yasir Dalal while terming the UNGA vote “historic” for Jerusalem, Palestine and international justice, said the resolution would be beneficial for the whole world, adding, it is high time for the world bodies to take steps for the implementation of pending resolutions regarding Kashmir issue at UN. He said Indian stand at UN over Jerusalem undoubtedly deserves kudos but at the same time they should also take tangible measures for the long lasting resolution of Kashmir issue.
Young Human Rights Activist Advocate Syed Mujtaba said that “the India’s stand at UNGA was the due to the friendly foreign policy approach of India besides its cordial relations with most Muslim countries like Iran and Afghanistan and others this may be the reason India choosed to go against US.”
According the Kashmir News Bureau monitoring desk, on Dec 08, 2017 despite restrictions in many parts of Valley, the Muslims length and breadth of Kashmir held protests to condemn the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The call of protests was given by Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) comprising of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik. Dozens of protest rallies were carried out in the nook and corner of Valley against the US President Donald Trump’s move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. (KNB)