Indian Americans, even so, are far from their home, will consistently be connected by heart and spare no effort for the welfare of India.
This time, scores of Indian Americans showed their humanity by gathering in various cities of United States to mourn the death of over 40 Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in a deadly terror attack in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group has claimed the responsibility.
Protest at Chicago
Expressing their indignation, hundreds of Indian Americans gathered at the 9/11 memorial on the outskirts of Chicago on Sunday and called on all the nations to stand together with India and the U.S. in their fight against those carrying out such “heinous crimes”.
In a joint resolution read out on the occasion, the participants held peaceful candlelight protest in Naperville, Illinois and called upon Pakistan to “end immediately” support to all terrorist groups operating from its soil.
As many as four events have been organized in and around the Chicago area, which has one of the largest concentrations of Indian Americans in the U.S.
‘Will Deal Firmly with Terrorism’
“We mourn the loss of 40 Indian security personnel at the hands of terrorists. This was an act of terror, an act of pure evil. We must be firm in the face of evil and terror,” said Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi in his address.
“The threat of terrorism is not stronger than either the will of the Indian people, the American people or the people of the world. Our will is stronger. We will deal firmly with terrorism. We will deal firmly with sponsors of terrorism. In this year of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, we will continue to be people of nonviolence, peace and we will continue to open our arms to those who seek to engage with us peacefully,” he said.
“We will defend ourselves, but we will not change our own character,” Krishnamoorthi said.
Similar events were held in Washington D.C., New York, New Jersey, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Detroit, Tampa, Houston, and Phoenix.
Participants of the candlelight protest urged the Indian government “to take steps to severely punish” the JeM and other terrorist organizations.
Expressing solidarity with people of India and with the government, the diaspora demanded that the United Nations designate JeM chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist.
A peaceful protest was observed outside the Pakistani and Chinese communities in Chicago.
Vigil at Maryland
Indian students in the University of Maryland in a statement said that they “strongly condemn this dastardly attack and mourn the loss of life and extend our heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families and people of India”.
As a mark of solidarity and respect to the slain soldiers, various student organizations in the university had planned to organize a silent candlelight vigil on February 21.
Outrage in Washington
Several temples in the Greater Washington Area carried out prayer meetings. On Sunday morning, a group of Indian Americans gathered in front of the U.S. Capitol Sunday morning in support of India and to express their outrage at the continuing support to terrorist groups by Pakistan.
“We gathered on the lawns of Capitol Hill to offer our Shraddhanjali to martyred Heroes of Pulwama Terrorist Attack,” said Adapa Prasad from the Overseas Friends of BJP-USA.
“The Indian Diaspora has profusely thanked President Trump’s and his administration’s unequivocal stand against terrorism which is emanating from Pakistan. The community also expressed gratitude and thanked the National Security Advisor John Bolton’s statement on Indian’s right to self-defense and help India in these difficult times,” said Krishna Reddy of the Overseas Friends of BJP-USA.
In memory of fallen, a prayer meeting is being planned in Edison, New Jersey.
-Sowmya
