Srinagar: Protesting against the recent “events leading to the death of seven Kashmiri civilians” in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Kashmiri diaspora across the globe held candlelight vigils on October 28.
The vigils were held in front of the White House in Washington DC, Atlanta, greater Philadelphia area, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and other cities in the United States of America; Toronto and Edmonton in Canada; locations in India; Dubai, Doha, Kuwait, and other places in the Gulf; Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney Australia; London, Brussels, Oslo, and other cities in the European Union; and Kashmir.
The participants had planned to hold candlelight vigils on their porches, balconies, and decks and post pictures or videos on social media using #VigilForKashmir, #KashmirMayhem, #KulgamMassacre, and #FreeKashmir hashtags.
Many had planned “silent prayers and posting messages of support and solidarity on social media after the vigil”.
“Kashmiri diaspora community is outraged. To remember the innocent victims, to pray for the safety of Kashmiris, and to stand in solidarity with Kashmiris, the people of conscience led by Kashmiri diaspora will hold candlelight vigils on Sunday, October 28, at 6:30 p.m. local time wherever they are,” read a Facebook post from the diaspora on a page ‘Kashmir Crisis’.
Claiming not to have any political affiliations, the ‘young generation’ of Kashmiri diaspora organised the protests.
“Kashmir is the heaviest militarized region in the world, according to the Guinness book of world records. People of Kashmir want the international community to intervene and speak on their behalf for their safety and their human and political rights,” the post read.
Speaking for the Kashmiris and the news about regular bloodbath in the conflict ridden valley, the members of diaspora believe that Kashmiris want to live their lives with dignity and honor, wanting the politicians to leave them alone so they could choose their destiny.
Regarding the raising death toll in Kashmir, they say, “thousands of innocent lives have been lost and untold miseries perpetrated on a small nation for nothing but their desire to exercise their rights of self-determination enshrined in the International law.”
“It is time that International community remembers that this wanton destruction of life is not mere statistics, but of actual people in flesh and blood. No more, should be the cry of the people of conscience throughout the world,” the organisers believe.
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