WASHINGTON, DC: Terrorist attack on a bus in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which killed seven and injured 12 more Hindu pilgrims returning to Gujarat from the annual Amarnath Yatra in the Kashmir Valley, has earned universal condemnation from a large group of Indian Americans and other well meaning community organizations The Pakistan-sponsored terrorist organization Hizbul Mujahideen is suspected to have carried out this attack.
“This was an unconscionable attack on innocent pilgrims exercising their most fundamental and basic rights to freedom of religion,” said Rajiv Pandit, a native of Kashmir. “We urge the Trump Administration to designate Hizbul Mujahideen as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and clamp down sanctions on Pakistan for its continued support of Hizbul and other terrorist groups carrying out attacks in India.”
The attack comes after the route from Jammu to the cave shrine at Amarnath, high in the Himalayas, was closed for a time during the one year anniversary of the death of former Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. In 2016 there was a surge in violence in the aftermath of Wani’s killing by Indian security forces, including mob attacks on transition camps in the Valley set up for returning Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus indigenous to Kashmir who were ethnically cleansed from the Valley in 1990).
Just two weeks ago, prior to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with US President Donald Trump, the State Department had declared Hizbul Mujahideen commander Syed Salahuddin as a global terrorist.
“Hindu pilgrims continue to remain at extreme risk of violence in Kashmir,” said Samir Kalra, an activist of Hindu community. “The Jammu and Kashmir state government and security forces must take all necessary precautions to protect pilgrims and ensure that the AmarnathYatra continues safely and without further incident.”
The attack has drawn widespread condemnation across the USA as well as from political leaders in India, including Prime Minister Modi, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, among others. In New Jersey, a prayer meeting organized by Sai Datta Peetham on July 16 was well attended by community members, adds Madhu Patel, president of NRI Press Club
The AmarnathYatra-during which hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims from around the world trek to a cave shrine containing a naturally formed ice lingam each July and August-has been threatened with violence in recent years, as noted in the Foundation’s latest human rights report. In 2016, several routes to the pilgrimage were closed for a time to ensure the safety of those people undertaking the arduous act of devotion.
Neela Pandya
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