27-04-2025
With demonstrations & candlelight vigils, Indians living abroad protest Pahalgam attack
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Bhubaneswar: The terror attack in Pahalgam has sent shockwaves across the globe with Indians living in Auckland (New Zealand), London and Swindon (United Kingdom) and Brampton (Canada) organising marches and
candlelight vigils
in protest against the heinous act.
Holding placards with messages like 'In memory of the Kashmir victims gone but never forgotten', 'We stand for peace' and 'Stop the violence against innocents', the Indian diaspora waved the national flag, shouted slogans like 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', and carried the photographs of the victims along with their names to express solidarity with people back home.
"The incident has left us all shell-shocked. It felt that the victims were one of us. It could have happened to us as my family was planning to visit Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir. Did not expect this to happen in new India," said Rahul Chopra, head of the department of commerce at Lynfield College, Auckland. Chopra, a second generation Indian living in New Zealand, attended the hour-long candlelight vigil organised by the Indian diaspora at Aotea Square, Auckland.
Like him, most members of the diaspora feel it is important to stand with India in this hour of crisis. "It is very important to show our strength and raise our voice, otherwise the world will not listen to us," said Sukant Sahu, a member of Odisha Society of the United Kingdom, who took part in a solemn commemorative ceremony organised at the Indian High Commission in London in memory of those killed.
There were at least 250 people inside the hall with many standing outside, said Sahu. Also present at the ceremony were minister of state for parliamentary affairs L Murugan, UK minister Catherine West, Conservative MP Bob Blackman and Indian high commissioner to UK, Vikram K Doraiswami, along with members of the Jewish community.
Protests were also organised in Swindon, Reading and Bournemouth in the UK that saw a sizeable gathering. "All those who died had gone to Kashmir to spend quality time with their families, but were killed by terrorists. This is injustice," said Gayatri Lokhande nee Panigrahi, who participated in the Swindon protest and the Indian High Commission memorial service.
Indians across the world feel that "difficult times require difficult decisions" and in this case silence is not an option. A protester at Bournemouth said, "Staying quiet now means we have accepted the injustice."
Indians in London are also planning more protests after a Pakistani diplomat allegedly made threatening gestures at them during their peaceful demonstration in front of the Pakistan High Commission on Friday afternoon. A candlelight vigil was also organised at Brampton, Canada.
