"I am not a Malala Yousafzai because I will never have to run away"
Kashmiri activist Yana Mir criticised Pakistan’s propaganda campaign to tarnish India’s reputation and said she “is not Malala”, who fled her home country.
Yana, who is also a journalist, gave the rousing speech in UK Parliament.
She was addressing a ‘Sankalp Divas’ event hosted by the Jammu and Kashmir Study Centre UK (JKSC).
The JKSC is a think-tank dedicated to the study of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
During the speech, Yana said: “I am not a Malala Yousafzai.
“I am not a Malala Yousafzai because I will never have to run away from my home country.
“I am free, and I am safe in my country India, in my home in Kashmir which is part of India.”
Malala fled her home country of Pakistan due to the threat of terrorism.
After moving to the UK, she eventually enrolled at the University of Oxford, ultimately becoming the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 at the age of 17.
Calling out Malala for “defaming” India, Yana said:
“But I object to you, Malala Yousafzai, defaming my country, my progressing homeland, by calling it ‘oppressed’.
“I object to all such ‘toolkit members’ on social media and foreign media who never cared to visit Indian Kashmir, but, fabricate stories of ‘oppression’ from there.
“I urge you all to stop polarising Indians on grounds of religion, we won’t allow you to break up us.”
“I hope our perpetrators living in the UK in Pakistan will stop maligning my country.”
Videos of the speech showed those in attendance applauding.
I am not a Malala
I am free and safe in my homeland #Kashmir, which is part of India
I will never need to runaway from my homeland and seek refuge in your country: Yana Mir @MirYanaSY in UK Parliament. #SankalpDiwas pic.twitter.com/3C5k2uAzBZ
— Sajid Yousuf Shah (@TheSkandar) February 22, 2024
She later thanked Sajid Yousaf Shah, who is in charge of BJP media in Kashmir.
On X, Yana also revealed how she came up with her Malala comments:
“Thank you, Sajid, for pushing me to go here, when I was depressed after we lost Dad.
“I wouldn’t have reached here if it wasn’t for you. Also, this Malala theory was given to me by my sister. So a person is nothing, without family support.”
During the speech, Yana Mir also received the Diversity Ambassador Award for championing diversity in the Jammu and Kashmir region.
She highlighted progress in the region after the repeal of Article 370.
In a 2022 interview, the activist labelled Pakistan as an “interfering boyfriend”, saying:
“The interfering boyfriend needs to stop.
“The lady is claiming everywhere that she is happy with her husband.”
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