Bengaluru: As many as 16 envoys from countries including the US and Brazil paid a visit to the newly formed Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir. 

Key messages from locals who met the 16 envoys: 

As the envoys paid a visit to the region, they interacted with the locals to get a first-hand account of the prevailing circumstances. 

Here are the key messages given by the locals to the 16 envoys:

1. People totally reject Pakistan’s disinformation about bloodbath in J&K. 

2. Praised the Narendra Modi-government for effectively handling the aftermath of August 5 (abrogation day) without bloodshed. 

3. Agreed there were some difficulties but it was necessary to maintain order.  

4. Exposed Pakistan’s desperation and untiring efforts to spread terror. 

5. Blamed Pakistan for killings in J&K and asked envoys to put pressure on Pakistan not to interfere. 

6. Told envoys that people of J&K won’t give an inch to Pakistan. 

Additionally, the envoys witnessed total normalcy, open shops and traffic and people on the streets of Srinagar. 

Importance of the visit: 

If sources are anything to go by, the visit was arranged after a plethora of countries sought to visit the region in order to experience the ground realities first-hand. 

The visit also comes as a godsend to expose Pakistan and its nefarious pushing of terrorism into India’s territory. 

The meeting of the envoys with the locals must come as an icing on the cake as it is they who would be in an authority to describe and delineate the situations they would be facing post abrogation. 

MEPs had visited J&K in October: 

In October last year, as many as 23 Members of European Parliament (MEP) too visited J&K in order to assess the situation there and get feedback from the local officers. 

The Presidential order revoking articles 370 and 35A was ratified by both houses of the Indian Parliament earlier in August last year.