Who are ‘Madi’ Sharma and Ankur Srivastava, the organisers of EU parliamentarians tour to Kashmir?

Madi Sharma’s website says MADI stands for ‘Make A Difference Ideas’ (see screenshot). She goes on to add “Madi stands for Make A Difference Ideas – everything I do has to make a change or my day has been wasted. The Om across the top is because I try to be ethical in everything I do.”

Madi Sharma also describes herself as a businesswoman who currently runs the Madi Group, a group of private sector and not-for-profit companies with a “philosophy to create innovative ideas tailored to local action which can achieve global impacts beneficial to society.”

Ms. Sharma also heads WESTT (Women’s Economic and Social Think Tank), working on concrete solutions for issues facing the development and progress of women in international communities.

WESTT is the organisation which invited the group of MEPs (Members of European Parliament) currently touring Kashmir. The invitation also mentioned that the expenses would be borne by the Institute for Non-aligned Studies, functioning from A 2/59, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi, a posh residential area in South Delhi.

The phone number listed on the website of IINS (see screenshot) is registered in the name of Ankur Srivastava. Attempts to contact Srivastava failed and NH was told that we would have to leave our number so that he could call back.

But what is disconcerting about the website of IINS was that it contains no names of its President or Governing Body members. Nor did www. iins.org contain any information on the visit of the MEPs to Kashmir.

A statement released by Chris Davies, Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for North West England, on Tuesday also confirmed in a statement that the invitation he had received to visit Jammu & Kashmir had mentioned that “Flight and accommodation costs would be paid by the 'International Institute for Non-Aligned Studies' (IINS).

The ‘Contact Us’ section of the website simply mentions the address In Safdarjung Enclave and two landline numbers, which, when called, said that Ankur Srivastava was not available and his cell phone number could not be revealed.

An NH reporter on Wednesday visited the address given on the website -- A 2/59, Safdarjung Enclave -- only to be told by a person manning the gate that no think tank office exists there. However, the name plate on the entrance to the building had “IINS” written on it (see pic below).

The person manning the gate, in civilian clothes, said that a family lives in the building, but refused to divulge the name of the owner. He even tried to hide the name plate.

When National Herald ran a Google search against the name and address of the individual in question, it threw up information related to ‘trademarks’ held by him, with the following description:

1. ‘SMSTimer’ (computer software and hardware products)

2. ‘Aglaya’ (Scientific and technological services and research)

3. Indian Management & Sciences Institute (Education; providing of training; entertainment; sporting and cultural activities)

No further information was available.

Twenty-three Members of the European Parliament landed in New Delhi on Sunday and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday in New Delhi. The National security Adviser Ajit Doval briefed the delegation on Kashmir and hosted a dinner for them.

According to its website, WESTT is “a leading women’s think tank with global dimensions, focussing on the economic, environmental and social development of women. At a political level it is also lobbies to raise awareness on key issues but never for commercial gain”. It’s a part of the Madi Group of “international private and social enterprises and NGOs” led by Madi Sharma.

Sharma appears to have appropriated a Mahatma Gandhi saying into her mission statement that features everywhere on her website: “Gandhi Said ‘You must be the Change YOU want to see.’ Madi says, ‘You must be the Change YOU want to see – NO EXCUSES!’

“Sources say that Ms Madi ran a business of “original Indian snacks” before she morphed in to a “international business broker” with access to Modi & the PMO. Madi also has extensive links with two Modi Sarkar linked foundations,” tweeted journalist Swati Chaturvedi.

Viktor Almqvist from the Press Service of the European Parliament wrote to National Herald’s correspondent in London, Ashis Ray to confirm that the MEPs were on a ‘personal’ visit.

“This is not an official EP delegation. This visit is organised in another capacity, by these MEPs, and does not represent the House. Therefore, we can't give any details on their programme or regarding the purpose of their visit. Hope this clarifies things,” he clarified.

Meanwhile, Hermann Tertsch, a parliamentarian from Spain, who was part of the group of MEPs who visited the Valley on Tuesday said that “a section of the locals” were kept from interacting with them and that the delegation was “very conscious” about it.

“Some are not, but some people were kept away (from us) and we are very conscious about it that some people are being kept away from us,” Tertsch was quoted as saying by ‘The Wire’.