The Indian American community across the Tristate area gathered at various venues, to strongly condemn the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, that took 26 lives. They also urged leaders to support India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and called on Washington to join in ridding the South Asian Subcontinent of terrorist elements.
Demonstrations were held at multiple locations, including Times Square in New York City, Long Island, NY, and Edison, NJ.
At each gathering, participants waved the Indian and American, and people held placards calling for justice and strict punishment for those responsible.
One of the largest gatherings was in Edison, NJ, where more than 1,000 people, according to estimate of organizers, gathered at ITV Gold’s parking lot to condemn the brutal attack in Pahalgam.
Photos of the victims were displayed on a large placard, and people waved Indian and American flags as they shouted slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ (Long Live the Motherland) and ‘Jai Hind’ (Long Live India).
Dr. Sudhir Parikh, chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media and ITV Gold, in his speech, said, “Today, we are gathered here to express our disappointment, our condolences, for what happened on April 22…. It was like a genocide. … We must support those who died, their families, and those injured.” Dr. Parikh urged the Modi government to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice. “We want to convey our message that all us NRIs are here to support India.”
New Jersey State Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak said he was “deeply saddened” by the Pahalgam killings, and “unequivocally” condemned the act. “My heart goes out to the 26 victims,” and their families, he added.
Edison Mayor Sam Joshi expressed, “My frustration, and it breaks my heart, that 26 innocent people were killed.” He went on to say, “Across the world, everybody knows, the Indian community is the most peaceful.” He also called for the perpetrators to be found and justice done. He called on the community in Edison to “stand together,” as it was the most diverse and had the largest Indian-origin population in the US.
Deputy Consul General of India Vishal Jayesh Harsh expressed condolences for the victims and their families and indicated that the terror attack came when Kashmir was becoming a place where democracy was flourishing and young people were getting opportunities and infrastructure was being built.
Community leader Piyush Patel, and others who spoke at the event noted how the attack was a reminder of what happened in the 1990s when Kashmiri Hindus were driven out of the area and became refugees elsewhere in India. “This was a targeting of Hindus,” he added, a view also expressed by Mukund Thakar.
Chairman of Federation of Indian Associations-NYNJCTNE, Ankur Vaidya, described the incident as “gruesome” and an act of “Islamic terrorism,” describing the alleged cruelty with which victims were shot to death. “As a community we stand behind our Motherland. As American citizens, we ask the US to stand with our Motherland.”
Suresh Patel of the Federation of Indian Seniors Associations of North America, FISANA, echoed the feelings expressed by other speakers, and said the organization hoped and prayed that the families of victims would find solace and that justice will be served.
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Indian American community mourns lives lost in Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir
