The ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pundits (i.e., Kashmiri Hindus ) from the Kashmir Valley, in India, began on January 19, 1990. On that fateful night, Islamists broadcast public threats against the Hindus.
They demanded that the Hindus either convert to Islam or leave the Kashmir Valley and threatened to kill any Hindus that did not accept one of their two demands.
In the aftermath of that day, several hundred Hindus were killed, and many Hindu women were raped. Eventually, more than 400,000 Hindus fled the Kashmir Valley and sought refuge in other parts of India.
To this day, the vast majority of Kashmiri Hindus continue to endure difficult living conditions as refugees displaced within their own country.
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the ethnic cleansing of Hindus from the Kashmir Valley, the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) has organised a candlelight vigil at 5:00 pm on January 19th outside San Jose City Hall.
I sincerely hope that people in the Bay area will attend the vigil and show their support for the Kashmiri Hindus.