New Delhi: India’s recent bonhomie with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) appears to have ended. New Delhi Monday rejected the OIC’s decision to appoint a special envoy for Jammu and Kashmir, one that was taken at the 14th Islamic Summit of OIC’s member states held at Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
“We categorically reject yet another unacceptable reference to matters internal to India in the Final Communiqué adopted at the conclusion … The OIC has no locus standi in matters relating to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India,” Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, said in a statement. “It is reiterated that OIC should refrain from making such unwarranted references.”
The OIC is an international organisation consisting of 57 member states, 53 of which are Muslim-majority nations. It appointed Yousef Aldobeay of Saudi Arabia as its ambassador for Jammu and Kashmir during the summit that concluded Sunday, which was also attended by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.
In the final communiqué that was issued, the OIC, like every year, called for the legitimate right to self-determination of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance to UN resolutions.
During the summit, Khan had said that Kashmiris are waging a “political struggle for their freedom and they must be given their right to self-determination”.
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Not the first time
While this is not the first time that India has rejected OIC’s stand on Jammu and Kashmir, New Delhi had hoped that the organisation may change its stance following its invitation to India as a ‘Guest of Honour’ in March this year.
Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had attended the inaugural plenary of the OIC Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Abu Dhabi in March.
The OIC was conceptualised as a congregation of Muslim countries, and India was initially seen as a natural member because it had the world’s second-largest Muslim population, a fact that remains true to this day. But India could never become a member of OIC due to continuous resistance by Pakistan.
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There was nothing to be gained by Smt Swaraj attending the OIC summit. The final communique issued the next day made no mention of her speech. The nature and character of the organisation, its approach to this issue, are well known. More productive are the bilateral diplomatic relationships India has been able to forge with some of the most prominent members of the OIC, including Saudi Arabia and UAE.
Nothing to be gained, eh?
Forgive my reminding you, but this is the same organization that sent back an Indian delegation which was Midway in air, during it’s inaugural meet.
That historic blunder stands corrected now.
India is no longer a “pariah” in the Muslim world.