Internationalist approach at H.B.C.

[garinda]

Thankfully our national government have (mostly) a little more sense, than not to take sides on the issue of Kashmir, unlike our local councillors.

Local councillors who now seem keen to push aside urgent local issues, which could benefit from their attention, in order to concentrate on controversial international matters.

There have been horrific cases of human rights abuse, and acts ot terrorism, carried out by the various factions involved in this dispute.

Now, thanks to Hyndburn Borough Council, as our elected representatives, voting that they have now officially sanctioned a resolution which supports the Kashmiri peoples' right to self-determination, we have now firmly given our support to only one side in this fight, and totally disregarded the rights of the other people involved in this conflict.

This is shameful thing to have happened.

Hyndburn Borough Council have allowed themselves to be used by political lobbyists, pursuing their own prejudiced agenda.

H.B.C.'s integrity has been damaged, and sullied, by allowing some of it's own councillors, who might have their own vested interests in Kashmir, to push their own political agendas, in succeeding to recruit H.B.C. to their own controversial cause.

The council have foolhardily, and naively, allowed themselves to be used as a propagandist pawn, in a politically sensitive game of conflict.

Hyndburn Borough Council, and by association, all it's residents, now officially support the AJK Peoples Party.

Don't believe it?

Use a search engine, and see how H.B.C.'s name is now being reported on news sites all over the world, because of what they've done.

Hyndburn Borough Council - sadly unable to see more than one point of view, but at least we're now seen as Internationalists.

Congratulations.

The government realise there are two sides to every story. Unlike H.B.C., who fail to realise when they've been used.

'Vince Cable, the business secretary who is attuned to Indian sensitivities after visiting the country regularly since 1965, gave a taste of the new approach this morning. Asked about Kashmir, he said: That is a dispute within the sub-continent that we are not expressing a view on.'

'All sides agree that Britain needs to tread carefully. Harsh V Pant, an academic at King's College London, underlines this point in the Times of India this morning. He says David Miliband caused great offence when he said that resolving the Kashmir dispute was essential to dealing with extremism in south Asia.'

'Labour may have been insensitive about Kashmir and Cameron has good reason to want to treat India as a normal trading partner. But then he is not visiting India, as Tony Blair did in January 2002, when it is on the verge of nuclear war with Pakistan. The cause of that dispute? Terrorists had attacked the Indian parliament the month before. The terrorists, similar to those groups named today by Cameron for launching the 2008 attack on Mumbai, were linked to the Kashmir dispute and New Delhi blamed Islamabad for sanctioning the parliament attack.'

Cameron and co tread carefully over Kashmir | Nicholas Watt | Politics | guardian.co.uk

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

I'd certainly concur with that. I doubt if most of the current mob of councillors could find Kashmir on the map; it would not surprise me if some of 'em thought it was somewhere in Burnley.

Ignorance is no excuse, however for what they did. I doubt if the decision could now be reversed, so possibly our illustrious councillors can now consider the ramifications of what they have done. The other party to Kashmir is of course India. That country is now one of the largest investors into the UK - only last week, a further 1000 jobs were announced as a result of additional investment into Jaguar-Land Rover. There are numerous other examples around the UK.

I doubt very much though, that Indian businessmen will now be looking at Hyndburn to make their investments. That’s a shame, because the town could certainly do with the jobs. We're certainly not going to get them from Pakistan, because that economy is a basket case and much of the money we do give 'em as aid ends up paying for terrorist activity in Kashmir.

Come on Tealeaf, admittedly the world's fastest growing economic powerhouse, the sub-continent we know as India, is unlikey to ever invest in this area, now H.B.C. have voted to declare their support for the AJK Peoples Party, but thanks to Graham Jones, and our Internationalist local councillors, we'll always be able to fall back on our friends in the European Union for support.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by gynn

It always used to be that Council resolutions could not be changed for six months. I think it is still the same.

Blimey. Six months?

Let's just hope India doesn't launch any nuclear missile attacks before next May then.

Hands up, we'll take it, but why should Burnley and Blackburn suffer the fallout?

They haven't yet decided which side they're fighting on, unlike us.

Let them live.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by garinda

I'm sure most folks in Hyndburn don't see the job of their local council as being that to lobby anyone on international issues. Whatever the rights and wrongs are, in any particular case.

If we are mistaken, and H.B.C. are now fully intending to be a big player on the political world stage, perhaps we can look forward to them also condemning Pakistan's appalling record on human rights abuses, at the next meeting of the full council?



We'll just have to wait, and see.

Excuse be for being a tad ignorant on this matter, but don't we elect an MP to represent the people of hyndburn on international affairs, I always thought our representatives on HBC were there to tackle the more mundane task that crop up at a local level day to day, it now appears that the MP doesn't want to represent the views of his constituents and councillors are more interesting in national affairs, funny old world ain't it

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Gayle

I'm not saying that the Council will be doing the lobbying. Just saying that those doing the lobbying can now claim to have the local council supporting them to add weight to their action.

Maybe the local people could have been asked their views in the form of a local referendum, or maybe not

[garinda]

Originally Posted by jaysay

Excuse be for being a tad ignorant on this matter, but don't we elect an MP to represent the people of hyndburn on international affairs, I always thought our representatives on HBC were there to tackle the more mundane task that crop up at a local level day to day, it now appears that the MP doesn't want to represent the views of his constituents and councillors are more interesting in national affairs, funny old world ain't it

Funny?

Sadly not.

Unless shameful's the new hilarity.

[Tealeaf]

Originally Posted by garinda

Come on Tealeaf, admittedly the world's fastest growing economic powerhouse, the sub-continent we know as India, is unlikey to ever invest in this area, now H.B.C. have voted to declare their support for the AJK Peoples Party,

Err..that's what I said.

but thanks to Graham Jones, and our Internationalist local councillors, we'll always be able to fall back on our friends in the European Union for support.

I wonder if GJ or anyone else could provide a list of EU supported schemes/developments/investments or whatever in Hyndburn over the last twenty years or so? The nearest scheme that I recall was a development (exactly what sort, I don't know) by Eanam in Blackburn. There was a big sign there for several years with words to the effect "EU funded as part of the Mersey Basin Redevelopment".

I can't think of 'owt. However, a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation gives me a figure of approaching 2000 quid for every man woman and child in the borough as being their cost of EU membership over the same period.

And jobs to show for it........none.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by garinda

I'm sure the vast majority of residents will think our local council has no business at all adopting resolutions, concerning any international causes.

Especially such a politically sensitive one, such as this.

Which they've now formally adopted a resolution on, on our behalf.

We once went to war on a resolution taken on our behalf Rindi

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by gynn

I can guess exactlly what happened. If I know nothing else, I know how HBC works.

The Councillor in question put forward the motion (which incidentally came between bin collections and dog fouling.) Both party leaders saw it as political dynamite not to support it, even though nobody had the faintest idea what the true facts are about Kashmiri independence. The threats of being accused as racist or anti-minority population are too great. So everybody is immediately treading on eggshells.

The motion is put, one or two heads are put above the parapet to suggest amendments, but overall everybody holds their breath, votes it through and moves on to dog fouling. (Something we can all speak with a passion about).

It explains why no councillors have been on this website defending what they voted for, because the fact is they haven't a clue what the facts are.

Well you know as well as me gynn the Kashmiri question isn't a new concept, its been buzzing about for years, I remember it arising as long ago as when Ken Hargreaves was MP that's 19 years ago

[garinda]

Originally Posted by jaysay

We once went to war on a resolution taken on our behalf Rindi

If you mention the eighties, I'm off.

I keep getting flashbacks of Hatton, and Linda Bellos, and breaking out in cold sweats, imagining I'm back under the loony left's rule, as it is.

[gynn]

Originally Posted by garinda

Blimey. Six months?

Let's just hope India doesn't launch any nuclear missile attacks before next May then.

I might be wrong, but I don't think the Council's Standing Orders have any provision for the altering of resolutions within the six month period in the event of Nuclear Attack.

With our new found International profile, it is something that Management Team should address urgently.

[Tealeaf]

Originally Posted by jaysay

Well you know as well as me gynn the Kashmiri question isn't a new concept, its been buzzing about for years, I remember it arising as long ago as when Ken Hargreaves was MP that's 19 years ago

So what was the council resolution then?

[Less]

Well, Yet another thing I'm not allowed to vote on, it seems my vote was wasted, instead of the simplton that used to be in charge we have some sheep whom would rather vote for some wishy washy ideal that local councillors are not voted in to have anything to do with just because it suits a very iffy member of their party.
I think in future I may just consider the BNP not because they are my party of choice, but because at least they may represent the majority not the minority.
(I can't believe I've been forced to say this!)

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by garinda

If you mention the eighties, I'm off.

I keep getting flashbacks of Hatton, and Linda Bellos, and breaking out in cold sweats, imagining I'm back under the loony left's rule, as it is.

No this was much later 2001

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

So what was the council resolution then?

No T what I was saying was the the Kashmiri question was being talked about in 91 not a resolution