‘Kashmir Files’ director Vivek Agnihotri declines Oxford Union debate invite over 'anti-India' topic

New Delhi: Filmmaker and author Vivek Agnihotri announced on Thursday that he has turned down an invitation from the Oxford Union to participate in a debate on Kashmir, citing concerns that the topic was "anti-India."

Agnihotri made the announcement via a post on his social media account, X, where he also shared the correspondence related to the invitation and his decision to decline.

In his post, Vivek Agnihotri wrote: "I was invited by the prestigious Oxford Union to debate on Kashmir. I found the theme offensive, anti-India, and anti-Kashmir. On principle, I have declined the offer."

In his letter, the filmmaker further explained: "Thank you for your invitation to grace the Oxford Union with my presence for a debate. Though it is every opinion-maker's dream to speak at the Oxford Debating Society, I find myself reflecting on the irony of your invitation, and after due consideration, I have decided to respectfully decline. Your invitation to debate 'This House Believes in the Independent State of Kashmir' is a direct challenge to India's sovereignty, and it is unacceptable to me. I find it not just obnoxious but offensive—not just to 1.4 billion Indians, but also as a humiliation of the hundreds of thousands of displaced indigenous Hindu victims of the Kashmir genocide of 1990. Framing it as a debate feels like turning a tragedy into a parlour game, where the stakes are human lives, and the cost is in blood, not just ink."

"Kashmir's story is not a debate topic; it is a narrative of suffering, resilience, and a quest for peace. To reduce it to a 'yes' or 'no' on independence is to ignore the complex tapestry of human emotions and history involved. The genocide of Kashmiri Hindus is a story where the cost has been paid in blood, not in witty retorts or applause from an audience," Agnihotri further said in the post.

In the letter dated September 2, which he posted online, Agnihotri explained his reasons for refusing the debate. The invitation was extended to him in light of his 2022 film, The Kashmir Files, which brought considerable attention to the plight of Kashmiri Pandits during the 1990s. The film, while praised by many, also faced much criticism. Over seven lakh Kashmiri Pandits were forced to flee due to violence orchestrated by various terror groups backed by Pakistan.

Agencies