Manipur violence: British Indian MP among others want UK to halt FTA talks

The motion, signed by 21 other MPs, also urged the government to raise the issue of human rights violations in Manipur with the Indian government

PRAVASISAMWAD.COM

Indian-origin British MP Nadia Whittome has tabled an early day motion in the House of Commons calling the UK to halt its Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks with India in the wake of the ethnic violence in Manipur.

The motion, signed by 21 other MPs, also urged the government to raise the issue of human rights violations in Manipur with the Indian government. “While the Tories are negotiating a free trade agreement with India, minorities face persecution under BJP rule. I tabled a motion highlighting the campaign of violence against the Kuki-Zo people in Manipur,” Whittome wrote on X recently. “FTA talks must be halted while this continues,” the Labour MP for Nottingham East added.

Whittome’s Punjabi Sikh father emigrated to the UK from Banga, Punjab at the age of 21. Her mother is an Anglo-Indian Catholic solicitor and former member of the Labour Party.

The motion tabled earlier this month notes “the ongoing, grave human rights violations in Manipur, India, including acts of sexual violence, extrajudicial killings, home destruction, forced displacement, torture and ill-treatment, predominantly targeting the Kuki-Zo people, a tribal community who are largely Christian”.

Highlighting that UN experts had raised serious concerns about the slow and inadequate response by India, the motion stated that it “recognises that these human rights violations occur as part of wider attacks on religious and ethnic minorities across India, many of which public officials have been accused of aiding and abetting”.

Whittome’s Punjabi Sikh father emigrated to the UK from Banga, Punjab at the age of 21. Her mother is an Anglo-Indian Catholic solicitor and former member of the Labour Party.

At least 175 people have been killed, 1, 108 injured and 32 remain unaccounted for since the ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3.

**************************************************

Readers

These are extraordinary times. All of us have to rely on high-impact, trustworthy journalism. And this is especially true of the Indian Diaspora. Members of the Indian community overseas cannot be fed with inaccurate news.

Pravasi Samwad is a venture that has no shareholders. It is the result of an impassioned initiative of a handful of Indian journalists spread around the world.  We have taken the small step forward with the pledge to provide news with accuracy, free from political and commercial influence. Our aim is to keep you, our readers, informed about developments at ‘home’ and across the world that affect you.

Please help us to keep our journalism independent and free.

In these difficult times, to run a news website requires finances. While every contribution, big or small, will makes a difference, we request our readers to put us in touch with advertisers worldwide. It will be a great help.

For more information: pravasisamwad00@gmail.com

Previous articleIndian Americans divided over two Republican candidates for President
Next articleAfrican diplomats get an insight into India’s traditional medicine
(न्यूजीलैंड निवासी लेखक/ पत्रकार प्रीता व्यास का रेडियो पर लंबी पारी के बाद प्रकाशन में भी कई दशक का योगदान। बच्चों के लिए लगभग दो सौ पुस्तकें प्रकाशित। पहली भारतीय लेखक जिन्होंने इंडोनेशियन भाषा और हिंदी में बाई लिंगुअल भाषा ज्ञान, व्याकरण की तीन पुस्तकें, इंडोनेशिया की लोक कथाएं, बाली की लोक कथाएं, बाली के मंदिरों के मिथक, एवं माओरी लोक कथाएं जैसी रचनाएँ प्रकाशित कीं ।) After working many years as a radio broadcaster, Journalist and Author, Preeta Vyas has come out with 200 books for children. She is the only writer of Indian origin who has written bilingual books in Indonesian and Hindi languages; Bali ki Lok Kathayen (folk stories of Bali); Bali ke Mandiron ka Mithak (Myths of Bali Temples); and Maori LOk Kathayen (Maori Folk Stories). She is based in New Zealand.)

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here