NEW YORK: A video of India’s Consul General in New York Sandeep Chakravorty comparing the situation in Kashmir to Israel-Palestine has kicked up a big storm.
Chakravorty made the comments at a private gathering last week, the video of which was posted by filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri.
Assuring a group of Kashmiri Pandits who had gathered that they would return to their homeland, the consul general said, “We already have a model in the world, I don’t know why we don’t follow it. We have a model in the Middle East. If the Israeli people can do it, we can also do it.”
Israel blockades Palestinians, places restrictions on their movement and has built Jewish settlements in the disputed Gaza Strip.
The ministry of external affairs, which has repeatedly rejected comparisons between Kashmir and Palestine, is yet to make an official comment.
Chakravorty said Kashmiris can learn from Jews about how they kept their culture alive for 2,000 years outside their land.
“I think we have to keep Kashmiri culture alive. Kashmiri culture is Indian culture, it is the Hindu culture... None of us can imagine India without Kashmir,” he said.
Former diplomats said the comments were made in his personal capacity and at a private gathering and should not be taken out of context.
“The video shows that it was a private gathering and the comments made there can in no way be assumed to be India’s official stand. I personally feel however such statements are better avoided,” a former diplomat said.
On Wednesday, Chakravorty attempted to clarify and tweeted. “I have seen some social media comments on my recent remarks. My remarks are being taken out of context.”
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, posting a article about the video, tweeted, “Shows the fascist mindset of the Indian govt’s RSS ideology that has continued the siege of IOJK for over 100 days, subjecting Kashmiris to the worst violation of their human rights while the powerful countries remain silent bec of their trading interests (sic).”
The Consul General had courted controversy after a US court had summoned him over a letter he had written to Senator Cathy Osten.
In his letter, Chakravorty had said, “The fringe/radical and terrorist elements of the Sikh community in Connecticut appear to be oblivious of what has happened in the past and are carrying on their vociferous, pernicious and divisive campaign as they see money and power for themselves in this.”
The letter was written after the senator had supported a Bill seeking recognition of the 1984 Sikh ‘Genocide’.