New Delhi, Oct 30
Madi Sharma, a Brussels-based Indian-origin woman who is said to have organised the "unofficial" visit of the European Union parliamentarians to Kashmir, had last year taken a groups of EU parliamentarians to Maldives ahead of the Presidential elections there, falsely presenting it as an official visit.
In fact, two of the MEPs who visited Kashmir, were also part of the team that visited the Maldives in September last year.
Sharma organised the trip to Maldives as member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
Voicing disapproval of the team's visit to the Maldives, the country's Envoy to the EU, Ahmed Shiaan, in a letter to Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament, said he wanted to express Male's "significant concerns" regarding the visit by the MEPs "who presented themselves as though they were an official delegation of the European Union".
The members who visited the Maldives, along with Sharma, were Thomas Zdechovsky, Maria Gabriela Zoana and Ryzsard Czarnecki, and former President of the EESC Henri Malosse.
Of these Zdechovsky, of the Czech Republic, and Czarnecki, of Poland, were part of the team that visited Kashmir, as well as EESC's ex-chief Malosse.
Shiaan, in the letter, says that "the visit was not conducted in an official capacity. The group was on a privately-sponsored visit under a tourist visa and engaged in their 'investigation', in utter disregard and violation of the rules and laws of Maldives Immigration. The individuals did not meet with any officials or representatives of the Maldives Government. It is disappointing for the Government not to have had the opportunity to address any questions that may have been put forward to ensure a fair and balanced view was formed."
The MEPs visiting Kashmir, including Malosse, addressed a press conference in Srinagar on Thursday.
Sharma, who has been photographed along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other MEPs during their call on him in New Delhi on Tuesday, describes herself on her Twitter account as a "Social Capitalist, International Business Broker, Education Entrepreneur".
Her website, http://madisharma.org/, says: "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."
Of the Madi Group that she runs, the website says: "The 'MADI Group' - is a Group of International Private and Social Enterprises and NGOs with a mission: Local Action, Global Impact. The philosophy is to create innovative ideas tailored to local action which can achieve global impacts beneficial to a sustainable society."
Sharma presents herself as head of an organization called WESTT (Women's Economic and Social Think Tank), which "has been working with the European Parliament and governments and non-governmental organisations across the world, mainly in South Asia".
She had extended written invitations to select Members of the European Parliament, telling them that she was "organising a prestigious VIP meeting with the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Narendra Modi..."
"As you will be aware Prime Minister Modi had a landslide victory in the recent elections in India and is planning to continue on his path fo growth and development for India, the country and its people," her letter to the MEPs said.
