Why a debate on Kashmir has led to protests outside UK’s Oxford University

Loud chants of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’ were heard outside the Oxford Union in London on Friday as students protested against a debate organised by Oxford University’s debating society.

The protest was led by INSIGHT UK, a social movement representing British Hindus and Indians in the UK, which opposed the debate titled “This House believes in the independent state of Kashmir.”

Notably, this protest took place after a letter was sent by INSIGHT UK to the Oxford Union on Thursday, which raised concerns over the inclusion of two speakers in the debate - Muzzammil Ayyub Thakur and Zafar Khan.

‼️BREAKING‼️

Indian students protest infront
of the Oxford Union.
Cries of “It is known far and wide, Oxford Union stands on terrorists side”.#OxfordUnion pic.twitter.com/N1oeIvrHLn

— INSIGHT UK (@INSIGHTUK2) November 14, 2024

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What was the controversy? Who are the two speakers?

Students protesting outside the Oxford Union chanted slogans in Hindi - “Bharat Mata ki Jai, Vande Mataram” - while holding banners.

“It is known far and wide, Oxford Union stands on terrorists side,” the protesters shouted.

In a post on X, INSIGHT UK wrote, “Jammu Kashmir WAS India, Jammu Kashmir IS India, Jammu Kashmir WILL BE India.”

Notably, in their letter to the Oxford Union, the social movement questioned the speakers’ alleged links to extremist groups and support for Kashmiri independence.

Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front and Mohammad Yasin Malik

The Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) has a long history of involvement in terrorist activities aimed at promoting the secession of Jammu and Kashmir from India.

Founded in the late 1980s, the JKLF activities are… pic.twitter.com/EnAdH0KnnC

— INSIGHT UK (@INSIGHTUK2) November 14, 2024

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The letter also claimed that there were accusations of hate speech and incitement against Muzzammil Ayyub Thakur, writing, “Muzzammil Ayyub has often engaged in hate speech. A case has been registered against him. for creating fear and alarm among the masses using social media and inclining them to commit offences likely to disturb public order. Muzammil has been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.”

Thakur, who is the president of the “World Kashmir Freedom Movement” and co-founder of “Mercy Universal,” was also mentioned in the letter. It read, “Muzammil is the president of the ‘World Kashmir Freedom Movement,’ which, along with another organisation called ‘Mercy Universal,’ was founded by his father and investigated by Scotland Yard, the Charity Commission and the FBI for ties with terrorists.”

The letter also pointed to Zafar Khan, Chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), as being linked to violent acts targeting the Kashmiri Hindu community. It said that the JKLF was involved in the 1984 kidnapping and murder of Indian diplomat Ravindra Mhatre in the UK.

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The debate

The Oxford Union debate was supposed to focus on Kashmir’s political status, a subject that has long caused tension between India and Pakistan.

The panellists included Muzzamil Ayyub Thakur, a Kashmiri independence activist and leader of the Justice Foundation and the Kashmir Freedom Movement, Zafar Khan, chairman of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) diplomatic bureau, and Prem Shankar Jha, a former media adviser to Prime Minister VP Singh.

In an Instagram post, the Oxford Union described the topic: “…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. This has led to persistent unrest, human rights concerns, and renewed demand 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?”

INSIGHT UK, strongly criticising the debate, posted on X, “We have sent a formal letter to Oxford Union expressing deep concerns over their decision to host the debate.”

“The invitation of speakers with alleged links to terrorism is particularly alarming and raises serious questions about the integrity of this debate.”

The organisation also discussed the history of violence and unrest in Kashmir, warning that the discussion could worsen existing tensions.

Indian student’s ‘no-confidence motion’ against Oxford Union President

During the protest, an Indian student named Aadarsh Mishra spoke out against the debate. In a video that has now gone viral on social media, Mishra criticised the inclusion of JKLF members and called them responsible for the deaths of Kashmiri Pandits.

“It [JKLF] has massacred many Kashmiri Pandits, and it has killed Hindu government officials in Birmingham,” Mishra said, The Daily Guardian reported.

Fearless Indian Oxford Union member, Aadarsh Mishra, intervenes at the Oxford Union debate hosting and supporting Pakistan backed terrorists.

Saying it as it is: JKLF is a TERRORIST organisation.#JKLF #kashmir #JammuAndKashmir @OxfordUnion pic.twitter.com/af1K5U4azO

— INSIGHT UK (@INSIGHTUK2) November 14, 2024

“I do not trust this house. I have launched a no-confidence motion against the president because I believe many members of this house have no faith in him.”

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Not the first time ‘This House Believes in an Independent State of Kashmir’ caused a controversy

This is not the first time the Oxford Union has received criticism for debating the Kashmir issue.

Earlier this year, ‘The Kashmir Files’ director Vivek Agnihotri publicly declined an invitation to participate in an Oxford Union debate on Kashmir, calling the theme “offensive” and “anti-India.”

In a post on X, Agnihotri wrote, “I was invited by the prestigious Oxford Union to debate on Kashmir. I found the theme offensive, anti-India, and anti-Kashmir.”

The invite listed participants including British MP Naz Shah, Pakistan’s Defence Minister, and a Supreme Court Justice.

#WATCH | Mumbai: On his decision to decline the Oxford Union debate on Kashmir's independence, filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri says, "They invited me and I received many follow-up calls and emails while I was thinking whether I should attend the event or not. I knew this debate… pic.twitter.com/hWAjXqJiJX

— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2024

In his reply, Agnihotri wrote, “Your invitation to debate ‘This House Believes in an Independent State of Kashmir’ is a direct challenge to India’s sovereignty, and it is unacceptable to me.”

He added, “I find it not just obnoxious but offensive—not just to 1.4 billion Indians but also as a humiliation of hundreds of thousands of displaced Indigenous Hindu victims of the Kashmir genocide of 1990. Framing it as a debate feels like turning a tragedy into a parlour game where the stakes are human lives and the cost is in the blood, not just ink.”

Earlier, in 2022, the Oxford Union cancelled Agnihotri’s Humanity Tour event at Oxford University. Agnihotri claimed this decision was influenced by the then-Oxford Union President, who was a Pakistani national and allegedly held an anti-India stance.