India Post News Service
FREMONT, CA: As India mourns its fallen soldiers, Federation of Indo-Americans of Northern California and Vedic Dharma Samaj aka Fremont Hindu temple, California organized a candlelight vigil on Friday Feb 15 in honor of the CRPF jawans martyred in a terror attack at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on February 14.
he vigil was held at the Main temple hall at 7pm.
Hundreds of people from all walks of life came out to participate in the Candlelight vigil in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack demanding strict action against Pakistan and terror outfits. “Let us stand with them and pledge our solidarity with the families of those martyred,” those present appealed to all. Youths, women and children started pouring in to the Temple premises at around 6:30 pm and waited until 9:30pm for the event to finish.
With slogans of ‘Pakistan murdabad’, the participants blamed Islamabad for being a haven for terror groups that carry out dastardly acts in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of India. The sloganeering continued with ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’.
Sumati Rao Saxena, Consul (CIC & Visa), Consulate General of India, San Francisco participated at the vigil and condemned the dastardly attack on the CRPF soldiers. Expressing sympathy with the families of the martyred jawans, Sumati said she understands that the people of the country are feeling enraged after the incident.
During the meeting, the participants observed two-minute silence in the memory of martyrs and expressed heartfelt sympathies with families of the martyrs, who sacrificed their lives while performing duties. The members adopted a resolution sharing grief, anguish and anger of peace loving people of the State over loss of jawans with an appeal for maintaining communal harmony to defeat nefarious designs of the enemy.
Speaking to the media, FIA Chairman Dr. Romesh Japra said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured that the sacrifice made by our jawans will not go in vain. Our armed forces have been given a free hand and very soon we will see a strict action against terror outfits responsible for such cowardly incident. We are also exposing Pakistan and its activities on a global level. Many countries have come out in our support.”
Urging the government to take strict action, the OFBJP President Chandru Bhambhra said, “We appeal the Indian Government to give a befitting reply to those responsible for the terror attack on security forces at Pulwama.”
Rajesh Verma, President, Fremont Hindu Temple condemned the attack and urged the Indian Government to give a befitting reply and eradicate terrorism from the soil of Kashmir.
Representatives from Overseas friends of BJP, Hindu Swayam Sevak, Hindu American Foundation, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, North Eastern states, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Art of Living, to name a few, participated at the vigil.
February 14 has been marked as a black day as it was the worst attack since the September 18 Uri attack. India lost it’s 44 men and now people are angry. They want to avenge the death of these soldiers who laid down their lives.
In the biggest terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama, India lost some of its really fine men. On February 14, a Jaish suicide bomber targeted a CRPF convoy of 70 vehicles and more than 2,500 personnel in Pulwama district. The convoy was moving from Jammu to Srinagar when it was attacked by a vehicle carrying 350 kg of explosives.
In the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack, India has revoked the MFN status given to Pakistan. India also took strong economic action against the neighboring country by raising customs duty to 200 per cent on all goods imported including fresh fruits, cement, petroleum products and mineral ore.
