Indian students protest at Oxford University over Kashmir-debate panellists

Indian students in the UK protested outside the Oxford Union over a debate titled ‘This house believes in an independent state of Kashmir’. The debate, hosted by the Oxford Union, Oxford University’s debating society, focused on the political status of Kashmir. The students protested against the panellists, because some had engaged in incitement and hate speech.

The students protesting at Oxford University also claimed the some of the panellists had links to organisations being investigated for ties to terrorism. They also stated how the Kashmiri Hindu community had been terrorised and were forced to flee Kashmir.

The Kashmir conflict is a territorial conflict primarily between India and Pakistan, and also between China and India.

“We have sent a formal letter to Oxford Union expressing deep concerns over their decision to host a debate titled, ‘This House Believes in the Independent State of Kashmir’, on 14th November. The invitation of speakers with alleged links to terrorism is particularly alarming and raises serious questions about the integrity of this debate,” said Insight UK, a British-Hindu group, in a post on X.

The Oxford Union’s selection for the debate included Dr Muzzamil Ayyub Thakur, Raza Nazar, and Professor Zafar Khan, who supported the proposition of an ‘independent state of Kashmir’.

On the other side, the opposition speakers included Siddhant Nagrath, Yusuf Kundgol, and Prem Shankar Jha.

Dr Muzzamil Ayyub Thakur, president of the World Kashmir Freedom Movement which was founded with Mercy Universal by his father. The organisation was investigated by Scotland Yard, the Charity Commission, and the FBI for ties with terrorists, according to the letter posted by Insight UK, a British Hindu group, on X.

Zafar Khan represents the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), a group associated with violent acts that terrorised the Kashmiri Hindu community and forced them to flee their ancestral homes. The letter also claimed that JKLF had kidnapped and killed Indian diplomat Ravindra Mhatre in the UK in 1984.

Opposing the motion were Prem Shankar Jha, a former media advisor to ex-Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh with extensive experience at the United Nations and the World Bank, along with Yusuf Kundgol and Siddhant Nagrath.

In response to the protest by the Indian students, the Oxford Union defended the debate on its Instagram handle.

“The Kashmir question, a parting gift of British colonial rule, has troubled the subcontinent since 1947, resulting in multiple wars. The continued push for Kashmiri independence has sustained a long-standing struggle, rooted in the region’s quest for self-determination and autonomy,” read the post.

The post also posed “the answer to the enduring crisis” in Kashmir.

This has led to persistent unrest, human rights concerns, and renewed demands for autonomy among the Kashmiris. While nuclear-armed neighbours vie for control and geopolitical influence, the desire for peace among the population remains strong. Could an independent Kashmir be the answer to this enduring crisis?” the Oxford Union said.