New Delhi: India's ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla has briefed American lawmakers on the situation in Kashmir and the steps taken by the government to maintain peace after modification of article 370 from of Jammu and Kashmir.
The briefing, first such by the top Indian diplomat for members of the House foreign affairs committee, comes as there has been an increasing voice of dissent and uneasiness among lawmakers on the restrictions in Kashmir, several of which have already been removed.
Union government has been gradually removing restrictions. The most prominent being restoration of the post-paid mobile phone services on October 14 for over 40 lakh subscribers.
Several Congressmen who were not members of the committee also attended the briefing. Most of the lawmakers were from the opposition Democratic party. Congressman Ami Bera was the only Indian-American lawmaker present at the briefing.
Shringla and other diplomats from the Indian Embassy and its consulates in various American cities such as New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston and San Francisco, have already spoken to hundreds of Congressmen and their aides after the modification of the article 370 that provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
Since August 5, the government besides restoring post-paid mobile phone services has opened the state for tourists.
Fixed-line telephony was also resumed and on September 4, nearly 50,000 landlines were declared operational. Educational institutions are also open, but attendance has been slim.
