The speech of the junior Indian diplomat, Vidisha Maitra, at the United Nations. She spoke for 1.3 billion Indians and stood up to Pakistan's Prime Minister, Imran Khan and this speech could easily be adapted to apply to the Leader of the Labour Party. Indeed, let me show you.
Mr Corbyn,
I take this opportunity to write to you an open letter, in this paper which speaks to, if not for, the majority of British Indians in the United Kingdom.
Every word spoken from the podium at the Labour Party Conference, it is believed, carries the weight of history. Unfortunately, what we heard from some of the Pakistani origin delegates was a callous portrayal of the world in binary terms. Us vs Them; Rich vs Poor; North vs South; Developed Vs Developing; Muslims vs Others. A script that fosters divisiveness in the Labour movement and the country as a whole. Attempts to sharpen differences and stir up hatred, are simply put - “hate speech”.
Rarely has the Labour Party conference witnessed such misuse, rather abuse, of an opportunity to reflect. Words matter in politics and we know this not only because of Brexit. Invocation of phrases such as "pogrom”, “bloodbath”, “racial superiority”, “pick up the gun” and “fight to the end” reflect a medieval mindset and not a 21st century vision.
Supporting the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan's threat of unleashing nuclear devastation, qualifies as brinksmanship, not statesmanship. Supporting the leader of a country that has monopolized the entire value chain of the industry of terrorism, the Labour Party sympathy for and justification of terrorism was brazen and incendiary.
Can you Mr Corbyn deny that Pakistan is home to 130 UN designated terrorists and 25 terrorist entities listed by the UN as of today. Do you agree with Pakistan that it is the only government in the world that provides pension to an individual listed in the Al Qaeda and Daesh sanctions list.
Mr Corbyn, some of your MPs at the Brighton Conference, having mainstreamed terrorism and hate speech, are trying to play the wild card as champions of human rights. That would be appropriate for Labour historically, but in so doing they are defending Pakistan, a country that has shrunk the size of its minority community from 23% in 1947, to 3% today, and has subjected Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadias, Hindus, Shias, Pashtuns, Sindhis, and Balochis, to draconian blasphemy laws, systemic persecution, blatant abuse and forced conversions. That is not what Labour stands for.
Pogroms are not a phenomenon of today's vibrant democracies. We would request you to refresh your rather sketchy understanding of history. My Corbyn, the Pakistani members of your Party’s virulent reaction to the removal of an outdated and temporary provision that was hindering development and integration of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir stems from the fact that those who strive on conflict, never welcome the ray of peace.
India's thriving and vibrant democracy, with a millennia-old heritage of diversity, pluralism, and tolerance is well and truly under way - irreversibly so.
Mr Corbyn, the message from this paper and this community to you is clear. You have another revolt, as you had with anti-semitism. You’re snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
