The European Union delegation visited Jammu and Kashmir on 29 October. The most discussed after politics in this EU Parliament delegation’s visit is Madi Sharma. The visit was a worldwide topic of discussion as it was the first time any foreign diplomatic group had arrived in the state after the withdrawal of special state status from Kashmir. Many opposition parties of the country were also opposing the visit, as they are considering it as undemocratic.
Sharma runs a non-governmental organization (NGO) called Women’s Economic and Social Think-Tank (WEST). It is being said that this trip was organized by Madi Sharma.
It is being said that Sharma had sent invitations to European MPs and promised them a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a tour of Kashmir. The European Union delegation met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi on the next day of Diwali, on 28 October. Subsequently in Srinagar, they also met the Commander of the 15th Corps.
The European Union MPs met in Delhi with the enlightened people of Kashmir (civil society) during an afternoon banquet. It was organized by NSA Ajit Doval. At the same time, this team also met Kashmiris at a program in Srinagar.
Who is Madi Sharma?
Madi Sharma is the owner of the Madi Group, which runs an organization that unites international-level private companies. It is said that this organization does not work for profit. She is also a member of the European Economic and Social Committee, which is the advisory body of the European Union. Sharma wrote an article titled – How to delete Article 370 is a challenge and victory for Kashmiri women. This article of her was published in EP Today. It is a monthly magazine in which information about the functioning of the European Parliament is published.
According to Sharma’s website, WEST is a leading women’s think-tank with global dimensions. It focuses on the economic, environmental and social development of women. At the political level, she lobbies to spread awareness on major issues but never takes financial advantage of it. However, she was not yet interested in the Kashmir issue.
This is not the first time that Sharma has taken a delegation from the European Union somewhere. Last year she had similarly taken the European Union delegation to Maldives. At that time there was Abdulla Yameen’s government. After the visit, the delegation criticized the Yameen government.
