New York Protest Highlights Kashmir Dispute During India’s UNGA Speech
The demonstration at UN Plaza was organised by the World Kashmir Awareness Forum alongside Kashmiri-American communities from the New York and Washington metropolitan areas.
Members of the Kashmiri-American and Pakistani-American communities staged a protest outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on Saturday, September 26, as India’s foreign minister addressed the UN General Assembly.
The demonstration at UN Plaza was organised by the World Kashmir Awareness Forum alongside Kashmiri-American communities from the New York and Washington metropolitan areas. The protesters called international attention to the Kashmir dispute and human rights violations in Indian-Occupied Kashmir.
Community leaders, women, children and elderly participants joined the demonstration, carrying placards and raising slogans in support of the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination and calling for international attention to the situation in Kashmir.
‘A Call to the United Nations’
Organisers held the demonstration under the banner “A Call to the United Nations,” urging the international body to address the longstanding Kashmir dispute and recalling UN resolutions relating to the issue.
Protesters called on the international community to take notice of human rights violations in Indian-Occupied Kashmir and urged the United Nations to play a greater role in efforts towards a peaceful resolution of the dispute.
In a joint statement issued during the demonstration, organisers also criticised the presence of the Indian foreign minister at the UN podium, arguing that New Delhi should face greater international scrutiny over its human rights record in Kashmir.
Protests coincide with India’s UNGA appearances
Demonstrations by Kashmiri diaspora groups have become a recurring feature in New York during the annual UN General Assembly session, particularly around speeches by senior Indian representatives.
Kashmiri-American organisations and their supporters have used the annual gathering of world leaders to highlight the Kashmir dispute, human rights violations and their demand for the right to self-determination.
During Saturday’s protest, participants called on the United Nations to support the Kashmiri people’s right to self-determination, take notice of rights violations in the region and address implementation of relevant UN resolutions on Kashmir.
At the conclusion of the demonstration, organisers said a memorandum was submitted to UN officials seeking diplomatic engagement towards what they described as a peaceful and just settlement of the Kashmir dispute.
