SOURCE: AFI
The United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), established in 1949 to monitor the ceasefire line in Jammu and Kashmir, has long outlived its relevance. With its main office in Srinagar, the UNMOGIP has been a vestige of a bygone era, rooted in a context that no longer aligns with the region’s geopolitical realities.
As India asserts its sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir, particularly following the revocation of Article 370 in 2019, it is time for the government to decisively close the UNMOGIP office in Srinagar. This move would reaffirm India’s stance that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the nation and signal an end to outdated international oversight.
The UNMOGIP was set up under UN Security Council Resolution 39 (1948) and Resolution 47 (1948) to supervise the ceasefire between India and Pakistan after the first Indo-Pakistani War over Kashmir. Its mandate was to observe and report ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) and mediate disputes through the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP). At the time, India itself referred the Kashmir issue to the UN, seeking international intervention to address Pakistan’s support for tribal invaders in 1947.
However, the 1972 Simla Agreement fundamentally altered the framework for India-Pakistan relations. Signed after the 1971 war, the agreement mandated that both nations resolve all disputes, including Kashmir, bilaterally, rendering third-party mediation obsolete. Since then, India has consistently maintained that the UNMOGIP has no role to play, as the Simla Agreement supersedes earlier UN resolutions. Pakistan, conversely, continues to invoke the UN to internationalize the Kashmir issue, lodging complaints with UNMOGIP about alleged ceasefire violations, while India has not engaged with the mission since 1972.
Why UNMOGIP is No Longer Relevant
- Obsolescence Post-Simla Agreement: The Simla Agreement explicitly states that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir is to be settled bilaterally. India considers the UNMOGIP’s presence inconsistent with this framework, as it implies external oversight over an internal matter. The mission’s continued operation in Srinagar contradicts India’s position that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country.
- Minimal Operational Impact: The UNMOGIP’s activities have been severely curtailed on the Indian side of the LoC. Since 1972, India has restricted the movement of UN observers, limiting their role to receiving logistical support (e.g., accommodation and transport) without active cooperation. In 2023, a UN official reported only two ceasefire violations along the LoC, indicating a stable situation that does not require UN monitoring. The mission’s reports have little practical impact, as India does not lodge complaints, and Pakistan’s submissions are largely symbolic.
- Revocation of Article 370: The abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, fully integrated Jammu and Kashmir into India, removing its special status. This move was a clear assertion of sovereignty, and the continued presence of a UN office in Srinagar is seen as an anachronism, symbolically portraying Kashmir as a disputed territory. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, responding to queries in February 2024, indicated that the government would examine the possibility of closing the UNMOGIP office, reflecting growing sentiment that its presence is untenable post-2019.
- Pakistan’s Exploitation: Pakistan has repeatedly used the UN platform, including UNMOGIP, to internationalize the Kashmir issue, despite India’s insistence on bilateral resolution. For instance, Pakistan raised the issue at the UN General Assembly through the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and its military continues to file complaints with UNMOGIP. Closing the Srinagar office would send a strong message that India rejects such attempts to undermine its sovereignty.
- Sentiment on the Ground: Public and political sentiment in India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, increasingly views the UNMOGIP as a relic of the past. Posts on X have echoed this view, with users arguing that the mission has failed to counter terrorism and that its closure is overdue, especially in light of Pakistan’s alleged abrogation of bilateral agreements.
India has taken steps in the past to reduce the UNMOGIP’s footprint. In 2013, India formally asked the UN to close the mission, citing its irrelevance post-Simla Agreement. In 2014, the government requested UNMOGIP to vacate its government-provided bungalow in New Delhi, signaling a “toughening stance” against the mission. The foreign ministry described this as part of efforts to “rationalize” UNMOGIP’s presence, with then-spokesman Syed Akbaruddin stating that the mission had “outlived its relevance.”
Despite these efforts, the Srinagar office remains operational, partly because the UN maintains that only the Security Council can terminate UNMOGIP’s mandate. However, India’s sovereignty over its territory allows it to unilaterally restrict or end the mission’s activities within its borders, as it has done with the Delhi office.
Closing the UNMOGIP office is not without challenges. The UN’s position that only the Security Council can abolish the mission could lead to diplomatic friction, particularly with China, which has supported Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir at the UNSC. Additionally, Pakistan is likely to protest the move, potentially escalating tensions at international forums. However, India’s growing global influence and firm bilateral stance mitigate these risks. The 2019 UNSC discussions on Kashmir, which resulted in no resolutions or statements, demonstrate the international community’s reluctance to intervene, further emboldening India to act unilaterally.
The UNMOGIP office in Srinagar is a relic of a historical dispute that has been overtaken by the Simla Agreement and India’s integration of Jammu and Kashmir. Its continued presence serves no practical purpose and provides Pakistan a platform to perpetuate a narrative of dispute. By shutting down the UNMOGIP office, India can assert its sovereignty, align its actions with post-2019 realities, and send a clear message that Jammu and Kashmir is non-negotiable. As LG Manoj Sinha indicated in 2024, the government is ready to consider this step. The time to act is now—India must close the UNMOGIP office and consign this outdated mission to history.
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