NEW YORK (PNI): New York City’s Mayor-elect Zohran K. Mamdani has come under sharp criticism after citing India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in a recent address. Critics argue that Mamdani’s remarks portrayed Nehru as a symbol of democracy while overlooking controversial aspects of his political legacy.
Statements circulating on social media recalled that Nehru had pledged before the United Nations and the Indian Parliament in 1947 that the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be allowed to determine their own future. However, critics note that the promise was never fulfilled.
One such statement read: “Nehru had assured that once peace and order were restored in Kashmir, Indian troops would be withdrawn and the people of the state would be allowed to make their own decision. That commitment was never honoured.”
Observers contend that portraying Nehru solely as a democratic figure amounts to distorting history, ignoring the unfulfilled pledges that have shaped the region’s decades-long conflict.
Commenting on the controversy, Farooq Siddiqi, President of the Kashmir Global Council (KGC) and a prominent separatist leader, said that invoking Nehru as a symbol of democracy is an affront to justice and to the memory of those who still wait for freedom.
The debate has also revived discussion of Nehru’s telegram dated October 31, 1947, in which he reportedly stated: “We shall withdraw our troops from Kashmir as soon as peace and order is restored and leave the decision to the people of the State.”
Mamdani, known for his outspoken views on human rights and global justice, has not yet commented on the controversy.
Political analysts say the episode underscores how the issue of Kashmir remains one of the most sensitive and enduring topics in international political discourse.
Follow the PNI Facebook page for the latest news and updates.
