Roger Godsiff

Kashmir and the Foreign Affairs Select CommitteeReport

Commenting today on the report produced by the Foreign AffairsSelect published on the 4th May concerning the UK?s relations withIndia Roger Godsiff, Member of Parliament for Birmingham Sparkbrook& Small Heath said:

?I welcome the increasing cooperation and good relations betweenthe United Kingdom and India but the report produced by the ForeignAffairs Select Committee demonstrates a lack of the historicalunderstanding of the Kashmir issue and I do not agree with itsconclusions.

India, as the second largest country in the world, hasestablished democratic structures which have operated for all but afew years during the 60 years of its independence and it has apowerful and legitimate claim for a permanent seat on the UNSecurity Council. However they cannot expect to win support forsuch a seat while they are in breach of UN Resolutions calling forthe Kashmir dispute to he resolved in accordance with the wishes ofthe people of Kashmir.

So far as I am concerned no British Government, of whateverpolitical complexion, should support the bid by India for a seat atthe top table of the United Nations until such time as India hasinitiated a Resolution of the Kashmir dispute, not solely throughbi-lateral discussions with Pakistan, but by engaging with thepeople of Kashmir who, in the final analysis, have the basic rightto decide how they should be governed and who should govern them,Until the .Kashmir issue is resolved, in accordance with the wishesof the people of Kashmir, there will never be the prospect of alasting peace in that region of the world and it is very much inthe interests of both Britain, and the international community, torecognize this.?

EDM 1524

FOREIGN AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE CONCLUSIONS ON RELATIONS WITHINDIA
21.05.2007

Godsiff, Roger
That this House notes the report of the Foreign Affairs SelectCommittee on South Asia, HC55, Session 2006-07, published on 4thMay 2007, and in particular its conclusions on relations withIndia; acknowledges that good relations with India are welcome, butdisagrees with the part of the report dealing with Kashmir; andbelieves that a lasting settlement of the Kashmir issue can only beachieved in accordance with the wishes of the people of Kashmir andthat India and Pakistan should not contemplate negotiating abilateral settlement without ascertaining the views of Kashmiris onboth sides of the line of control and involving theirrepresentation in any discussions.

EDM 1523

ENLARGEMENT OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL
21.05.2007

Godsiff, Roger
That this House notes the recent report of the Foreign AffairsSelect Committee and its support for India to have a seat on theSecurity Council as part of a wider enlargement; agrees that India,as the second largest country in the world, with long democratictraditions, has an excellent claim for a seat on the enlargedSecurity Council; and believes that any British Government, ofwhatever political complexion, should not support such a claimuntil India has resolved the long-standing Kashmir dispute inaccordance with the wishes of the people of Kashmir and infulfilment of the outstanding UN Resolution on the issue ofKashmir.