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New Delhi: An international seminar organized in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, created a huge diplomatic embarrassment when during the presentation of the keynote speaker, India’s Jammu and Kashmir region was shown as a part of Pakistan. Seeing this serious lapse, Pooja Kumari Jha, Second Secretary (Political and Information) of the Indian High Commission, who was present at the program, without any delay lodged her sharp objection on the stage itself.

Wrong map in think-tank program

This whole matter is about a seminar on foreign affairs organized by ‘Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies’ (BIISS), a leading think-tank based in Dhaka. Former Bangladesh Ambassador Tariq A Karim was giving his digital presentation as the keynote speaker in the program. According to the report of Times of India, during this time a controversial map appeared on the screen, in which the geographical location of Jammu and Kashmir was wrongly shown as included in the territory of Pakistan.

‘Kashmir is an integral part of India’

As soon as the map was revealed, Indian diplomat Pooja Kumari Jha said in clear and firm words in front of the entire hall, ‘The map of India shown here is completely wrong. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and unbreakable part of India. I think the map presented here is not correct.

Former Bangladeshi ambassador had to apologize

After this strong and quick stance of the Indian diplomat, former Ambassador Tariq e Karim, who was present on the stage, was forced to give an immediate clarification. He tried to defuse the diplomatic row by saying that the map was used only for ‘symbolic purposes’ and was not intended in any way to challenge or demonstrate the ‘actual boundaries’.

India’s ‘zero-tolerance’ policy on sovereignty

This incident underlines the ‘zero-tolerance’ policy of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) regarding India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity at international forums. There are clear instructions to Indian diplomats that an official objection should be lodged immediately if the wrong map of India is presented in any global forum, think-tank or United Nations programs. India’s consistent stand is that the entire Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are inalienable parts of India. India and Bangladesh currently have strong bilateral relations, which is why the Bangladeshi side immediately issued a clarification on this mistake to prevent diplomatic tensions from escalating.