HinduPACT

Category: Kashmir

  • Press Release: United Hindu Groups Hold Two Dozen Vigils Across US in Memory of Pahalgam Victims and Demand Justice

    Press Release: United Hindu Groups Hold Two Dozen Vigils Across US in Memory of Pahalgam Victims and Demand Justice

    Washington, DC

    April 29, 2025

    For Immediate Release

    In an extraordinary demonstration of solidarity and remembrance to honor the victims of the brutal Pahalgam massacre by Pakistan-supported Islamist terrorists, the united Hindu groups, comprising thirteen organizations, organized peaceful vigils across major U.S. cities on April 26 and April 27, 2025.

    Americans for Hindus (A4H), Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), Federation of Indians and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), Global Hindu Temple Network (GHTN), Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF), Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA), HinduPACT, Hindu American Foundation (HAF), Hindu Mandir Empowerment Council (HMEC), Hindu Swaymasevak Sangh (HSS), HinduDvesha, The Avanti Foundation, Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), and American Hindu Federation (AHF), Voice of Hindus, all came together in solidarity with a unified call to end global Islamist terrorism. 

    On April 22, 2025, twenty-five Hindu men in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India, were executed by Islamist terrorists affiliated with The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba. Eyewitnesses confirm that the terrorists performed a litmus test on each of the tourists to verify their religious identity by asking them to recite Kalma (Islamic prayer) and then stripped them to confirm if they were circumcised.  Upon confirmation of their Hindu identity, the innocent Hindu men were mercilessly executed in front of their families. 

    This heinous act of targeted religious violence is the latest in a long history of attacks on Hindus in Kashmir, including the 1990 ethnic cleansing of nearly 400,000 Kashmiri Hindus, the 2000 Amarnath massacre (32 killed), and the 2002 Qasim Nagar massacre (29 killed).

    A Nationwide Cry for Justice and Recognition

    Thousands of Hindu Americans gathered in rallies across the US, including the ones listed below:

    • Washington, DC 
    • New York City, NY.  Multiple rallies – Union Square Park, Times Square, in front of the Pakistani Consulate
    • Edison, NJ 
    • Houston, TX 
    •  Dallas, TX 
    • San Francisco, CA
    • Fremont, CA
    • San Jose, CA
    • Sacramento, CA
    • Ridgewood, NJ
    • Parsippany, NJ
    • Long Island, NY
    • Houston, TX
    • Newington, CT
    • Wellington, CT
    • Columbus, OH
    • Chicago, IL
    • Los Angeles, CA
    • Seattle, WA
    • Las Vegas, NV
    • University of California, Berkeley

    More rallies are planned for the coming days. On May 1st, there will be a vigil in Washington, DC, and on Monday, May 5th, a vigil protest will take place at the Pakistan Consulate in Los Angeles, CA. The Hindu Mandir Empowerment Council (HMEC) has organized a virtual prayer meeting on May 3rd, where temples across the USA are expected to participate.

    Participants lit candles, recited prayers, and observed a minute of silence for the twenty-six Hindus whom the Muslim Jihadist terrorists slaughtered. They also carried signs that read, “Justice for Pahalgam,” “Stop State-Sponsored Islamist Terror,” and “Stop Killing Hindus.”  Vigil organizers stressed that this was a matter of human rights and religious freedom, transcending regional or national politics.

    Our call is simple, concluded Dr. Ajay Shah, Founder of HinduPACT: “Religious freedom must apply to Hindus too. Human dignity must include Hindu lives too. The victims of Pahalgam are not statistics; they are our brothers and sisters. We will remember and will demand justice. Pakistan-sponsored drip-drip genocide of Hindus must stop.”

    “We call upon the world leaders to unitedly fight Islamist terrorism looming over humanity at large and ensure its total destruction,” said Shyam Tiwari, Chief spokesperson for VHPA, calling for decisive action.

    The Islamist terror attacks have again highlighted the darkest, most visceral face of anti-Hindu hate. Pahalgam was not an isolated incident, but part of a broader pattern of religiously driven hate against Hindus, said CoHNA president Nikunj Trivedi. “We call upon leaders around the world to fight back against this rising wave of Hinduphobia.”

    Suhag Shukla, Executive Director of HAF, stated, “This was a deliberate, brutal assault on innocent people whose only ‘offense’ was being Hindu. Families were hunted, religiously profiled, and murdered in cold blood, making this not just a tragedy for Indians, but a matter of deep concern to all who value religious freedom and human dignity.”

    Dr. Romesh Japra, Founder and President of Americans for Hindus (A4H), brings to attention that, “Terrorism will bring down Humanity if not eradicated from the world, and all world leaders must work together to eliminate terrorism as the priority.”

    “Tourism cannot whitewash the truth!” stated Uphaar Kotru, President of Kashmiri Overseas Organization. “Each attack reopens wounds we’ve never had the chance to heal. Our pain has been ignored for far too long.”

    Core Demands Issued by the united Hindu community to US Legislators:

    1. Recognition of the Pahalgam massacre as terrorism motivated by religion against Hindus.
    2. Official designation of Pakistan as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism” by the United States.

     

    The united Hindu community demanded an UN-led inquiry into systemic anti-Hindu violence in Pakistan and Bangladesh.  Furthermore, they implored the global media to acknowledge the Hindu victims of religious persecution. They demanded that the Western press cease its complicity and sanitizing of Islamist terrorism by calling the perpetrators “militants” or “rebels.”

    The vigil also highlighted the historical continuity of attacks on Hindus, from the act of ethnic cleansing in Kashmir to the desecration of temples in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

    Other leader statements:

    Mohinder Gulati, President of Global Hindu Temple Network America, pointed out “the failure of the international organizations and international financial institutions to enforce the Treaties, Conventions, and their policies in dealing with Pakistan-sponsored Islamist terrorism.”

    Sanjeev Kak of The Avanti Foundation strongly condemned the extremely barbaric massacre of innocent tourists visiting Pahalgam by the Pakistan sponsored Jihadi terrorists.

    Dr. Amit Desai, spokesperson for Voice of Hindus, said, “We are mourning the brutal killing of Hindu pilgrims in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, a shocking act of terror. We demand justice and global action against such religious violence.”

  • ACT: Justice for Pahalgam Victims One-Click Petition by KOA and HAHRI/HinduPACT

    ACT: Justice for Pahalgam Victims One-Click Petition by KOA and HAHRI/HinduPACT

  • HAHRI Condemns Terrorist Attack on Tourists in Pahalgam, Demands Global Action Against State-Sponsored Islamic Terrorism

    HAHRI Condemns Terrorist Attack on Tourists in Pahalgam, Demands Global Action Against State-Sponsored Islamic Terrorism

    San Ramon, CA – Hindus Advancing Human Rights Initiative (HAHRI), an arm of HinduPACT, unequivocally condemns the brutal terrorist attack on innocent tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The attack, which occurred on April 22, 2025, targeted a group of unarmed civilians, killing at least 28 and injuring several others, solely because of their religious identity.

    According to eyewitness accounts and preliminary reports, the attackers confirmed the victim was “not a Muslim” before executing him in cold blood. One survivor recounted in horror:

    “The gunman said my husband was not a Muslim and then shot him.”

    This chilling statement exposes the religious hatred that motivated the attack—an expression of the genocidal ideology that continues to plague the region.

    This act of terror occurred during Vice President J.D. Vance’s diplomatic visit to India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s simultaneous engagement in Saudi Arabia. As Ajay Shah, Founder and Convenor of HinduPACT, pointed out:

    The message from the terrorist state across India’s western border is clear. On behalf of American Hindus, we express our heartfelt sympathies to the families of the victims.

    Rahul Sur, Executive Director of HAHRI, made an urgent call to conscience:

    “HAHRI unequivocally condemns the heinous, cowardly Pahalgam attack. We stand unflinchingly with the families of the victims and call upon human rights organizations to unequivocally condemn this terrorist act. The world has been warned repeatedly about this Islamic fundamentalism. It must be crushed. It is time to sanction Pakistan.”

    The terrorist strike is yet another bloody reminder of Pakistan’s long-standing use of terror as an instrument of state policy. Groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen—operating with the protection and funding of Pakistan’s ISI—have systematically targeted Hindus and other minorities in the region, as thoroughly documented in security reports and terrorism compendia​.

    In a powerful display of international solidarity, President Donald J. Trump issued a statement:

    “President Trump strongly condemned the terror attack and expressed full support to India to bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous attack. India and the United States stand together in the fight against terror.”

    This latest massacre is not an isolated incident but part of a broader historical pattern of targeted violence against Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir, which includes the ethnic cleansing of nearly 400,000 Kashmiri Hindus in the 1990s. This tragedy remains underacknowledged by mainstream international media and human rights forums.

    The ideological justification for these atrocities can be traced to radical interpretations of jihad that explicitly target non-Muslims as ‘kafirs. ‘ Such religiously motivated hate crimes are not only violations of human rights but also clear indicators of a genocidal intent. The world must awaken to this systemic and enduring threat.

    Deepti Mahajan, Co-Convenor of HinduPACT stated:

    “It is pertinent to note that HAHRI has submitted a formal complaint to the United Nations accusing Pakistan of a ‘drip, drip genocide’ of its minority Hindus, Christians, and Sikhs.”

    HAHRI calls for:

    • Immediate sanctions against Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism.
    • A formal designation of Pakistan as a State Sponsor of Terrorism by the U.S. government.
    • A United Nations-led inquiry into the persecution of Hindus and other minorities in Kashmir.
    • Global recognition of the plight of Kashmiri Hindus and other indigenous communities displaced or targeted by Islamist terror.

    The families of the victims deserve more than mere words. They deserve justice. The global Hindu community demands that such crimes no longer go unnoticed, unpunished, or explained away under the guise of “regional tensions.”

    HAHRI remains dedicated to advocating for the human rights and security of Hindus and other marginalized communities worldwide and urges all people of conscience to stand in solidarity against terror, intolerance, and ideological hatred.

  • Watch: Recent Interview by Utsav Chakrabarti, HinduPACT on PGurus

    Watch: Recent Interview by Utsav Chakrabarti, HinduPACT on PGurus

  • HinduPACT’s Open Letter to the Prime Minister of India on Kashmir

    HinduPACT’s Open Letter to the Prime Minister of India on Kashmir

    Recognition of Genocide of Kashmiri Hindus, punishing its perpetrators, resettlement & rehabilitation of indigenous Hindus in Kashmir, and full integration of Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan with India

    May 18, 2022

    Honorable Prime Minister Modi-ji:

    Namaskar!

    First, I would like to thank the Delimitation Commission for proposing to reserve two seats for members of the Hindu Community from Kashmir Valley. But, we are deeply concerned by the continued flow of sophisticated weaponry to Jihadists in Jammu and Kashmir (&K) resulting in continued targeted and the brutal killing of Hindus in the valley. Recent example being that of Mr. Rahul Bhat while he was working in his office in Chadoora, a village IN Budgam District of Kashmir.

    The National Human Rights Commission in India had rightly called the exodus of Hindus from Kashmir valley as “akin to genocide.” However, in 1990, the then government of India failed to recognize the genocide inflicted on the Hindus also referred to as the Pandits of Kashmir. It is unfortunate but true that the world has remained silent and continues to remain silent towards the plight of Kashmiri Hindus (KH). But all that changed after the removal of the temporary provisions of Article 370. Recently, after the release of the movie “The Kashmir Files”, a powerful depiction of the gruesome killings that occurred as a genocidal war was unleashed on Kashmiri Hindus (KHs), more and more people around the would have begun to recognize the reality of the tragedy the KHs went through.

    History tells us that Hindus of Kashmir Valley has been subjected to a series of genocides for the last seven hundred years and the exodus of 1990’s from Kashmir is the seventh one in that series. This time, the community is united in its resolve that the current (seventh) exodus must be the last one. The real issue in Kashmir is not just the safe return of Hindus to the valley but the creation of a safe habitat that prevents the possibility of a future one. This cannot be done unless crimes committed during the Genocide against Hindus are acknowledged, the perpetrators punished and the infrastructure that unleashed those crimes, destroyed. A vast number of Islamists have profited from the Kashmiri Hindu genocide, by usurping their homes, lands, businesses, jobs, temples and more. So long as they continue to hold on to such ill-gotten profits, there will always be an incentive to commit such crimes in future as well.

    It has been more than two ears since the removal of Article 370. We hope that the GOI will take decisive steps and officially recognize the Genocide of Hindus in Kashmir. The next logical step in that direction would be to enact a law for the punishment and prevention of Genocide. India is a signatory to the UN Convention on Prevention and Punishment of Crime of Genocide, The Indian Parliament has ratified this Convention long back in 1959; however, the commensurate law has not been made since then. Panun Kashmir, a political voice representing Hindus of the Kashmir Valley has prepared a “Genocide & Atrocities Prevention Bill” that has been presented to your office and to the Indian
    Parliamentarians in 2020. We request your office to take it into consideration.

    If the Islamist dream of Ghazwa-e-Hind is to be crushed, it is imperative that your government takes steps to reverse Islamization of Kashmir. To achieve that, the perpetrators & collaborators of Kashmiri Hindu’s genocide must be brought to justice and Jammu & Kashmir’s reorganization taken to its logical conclusion. To further that process, we humbly request your government to take the following steps:

    1.  Ensure complete safety & security of those Hindus who are in the Kashmir Valley

    2. Declare KH refugees as “Internally Displaced Persons” instead of calling them “Migrants..”

    3. Formally acknowledge KH “Genocide” at the hands of pan-Islamist terrorists.

    4. Set up a tribunal to investigate the crimes against humanity inflicted on indigenous KHs.  Investigate & punish those who were directly involved: individual/ mass killings; rape / gang rape; destruction of temples; destruction / usurping of properties etc.

    5. Investigate those who were at the helm in 1989-90 in Srinagar like the then elected CM Farooq Abdullah who abdicated his constitutional responsibilities & fled leaving beleaguered KHs at the mercy of AK47 welding Jihadists.

    6. Investigate the nexus of politicians with ihadist outfits like JKLF

    7. Declare a package of compensation for each KH household that lived in Kashmir prior to 1990.

    8. Distress sales be termed null, and void and those properties returned to the rightful KH owners.

    9. Establish a “Kashmiri Hindu Heritage Revival and Safety Trust” with Government of India funding to rebuilt damaged temples, religious and cultural centers, and shrines. This trust should be operated by eminent Kashmiri Hindus.

    10. Provide special financing resources to the Kashmiri Hindu community that will help them to establish businesses ventures. This could be zero interest rate financing with no collateral requirements, loan waivers if defaulted in 10 years.

    11. Initiate talks with Kashmiri Hindus and have your administration/GOl reach out to Kashmiri Hindu political representatives based in J&K.

    Finally, the full integration of Pakistan occupied Gilgit Baltistan with the Union territory of Ladakh in India, the full integration of Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir into India and further reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir is a necessity. The last six times, minority Kashmiri Pandit’s attempted application of restorative justice for their resettlement, rehabilitation and reconciliation in the valley but failed each and every time. This time, only a political enclave in the Kashmir Valley with a “safe space” settlement of all those expelled by violent Jihad, is the critical next step.

    Respectfully,

    Sanjay Kaul
    Vice President, World Hindu Council of America
    Director. HinduP ACT Task Force on Kashmir

     

     

  • HinduPACT Urges Pakistan to Replace as US Envoy Masood Khan, with Religious Minority 

    HinduPACT Urges Pakistan to Replace as US Envoy Masood Khan, with Religious Minority 

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    February 4, 2022

     

    HinduPACT Urges Pakistan to Replace as US Envoy Masood Khan, with Religious Minority 

    WASHINGTON, DC – The Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective (HinduPACT) urges President Joe Biden to reject Pakistan’s Ambassador-Designate to the United States – a known terrorist sympathizer – Masood Khan and to appoint a religious minority in his place. This will reflect that Pakistan is taking a tangible first step towards ending the state sponsored violence against religious minorities within their borders. 

    Masood Khan has been open and vocal about his support for convicted terrorist Aafia Siddiqui, who is known colloquially as “Lady al-Qaeda.” He has also supported UN designated terrorist organizations like Hizbul Mujahideen – which he praised as “a role model for freedom fighters across the globe” –, Jamaat-e-Islami – which was directly involved with helping the Pakistani military commit the egregious genocide against hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi religious minorities in 1971 –, and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen – which has ties to the late Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. Khan even attended at least one event with promoters of Hizbul Mujahideen during which convicted spy Ghulam Nabi Fai was a speaker.

    Khan openly praised convicted terrorist, ISIS supporter and commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Burhan Wani; a machine gun touting jihadist. On the fifth anniversary of his death, in July 2021, Khan stated: “Don’t think for a minute that Burhan Wani is dead or gone. Burhani Wani lives in our hearts and stands tall. He sacrificed his life for a cause. His legacy continues. We, the people of Jammu and Kashmir complete his mission of freedom.” 

    Further, Khan’s appointment undermines both America’s and India’s national security interests; a key US ally.

    The percentage of religious minorities in Pakistan has decreased exponentially over the past seven decades, and the appointment of Khan only further emboldens the perpetrators of crimes against these minorities to continue unchecked. We are calling upon the administration and State Department to reject Masood Khan’s appointment for the aforementioned reasons and for the sake of upholding the true tenants of democracy which includes the right to religious freedom and the ability to practice without fear of reprisal. 

    We hope that by appointing a member of the Hindu, Sikh or any other religious minority as their representative to the US, the government of Pakistan will be able to take a long overdue step in sending a message to the global community and to the people of Pakistan, that it intends to secure the rights of all its citizens irrespective of their faith.

    Adelle Nazarian

    Director of Legislative Outreach and Communications

    HinduPACT

  • India New England News: A webinar on the eve of Kashmiri Hindu Balidan Divas on September 13

    A webinar on the eve of Kashmiri Hindu Balidan Divas on September 13

    By

     India New England News September 9, 2020

    BOSTON–The Kashmiri Hindus will observe September 14 as “BALIDAN DIVAS.” This year will be 31st observation of this day. The Zoom webinar is organized by PANUN KASHMIR and is titled the “Remembrance & Reaffirmation.”

    “We take this opportunity to, remember Kashmiri Hindus and members of Indian Security Forces who have been martyred over the years in protecting the interest of the nation, reaffirm our support to the struggle of Kashmiri Hindus against their genocide and seek a way forward,” organizers said in a statement.

    The webinar will be held on Sunday, September 13 at 9:30 AM EST. Here is more information about the panel:

    Webinar Date/Time: Sunday, September 13, 9:30 AM E.S.T (7:00 PM Indian time)

    Duration:  Approximately 90 minutes

    Webinar type: Zoom Webinar with live streaming on Facebook, UTube, Twitter and various websites.

    Welcome by: Dr. Shakun Malik, President, Kashmiri Overseas Association USA

    Moderator: Sanjay Kaul, Vice President, World Hindu Council of America

    Panelists:  

    1. Dr. Ajay Chrungoo, Chairman, Panun Kashmir
    2. Prof. Ved Nanda, Sanghchalak HSS North America
    3. Shri Sushil Pandit, Founder, Roots in Kashmir (RIK)
    4. Shri Utsav Chakrabarti, Executive Director, Hindu Policy Analysis & Advocacy Collective (HinduPACT)
    5. Smt. Lakshmi Kaul, Founder, Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society (KPCS)
    6. Shri Shambhav Sharma, Creator & Host: The Sham Sharma Show
    7. Sagar Koul, Youth Representative

     

  • Kashmiri Hindu ‘Balidaan Divas’

    Kashmiri Hindu ‘Balidaan Divas’

    Source: http://www.lokvani.com/lokvani/article.php?article_id=16986

    Every year, Kashmiri Hindus observe September 14 as our Balidan Divas. This year the Global Kashmiri Hindu Community organized “BALIDAN DIVAS Webinar” on Sunday, September 13, 2020 through Zoom with live streaming on Facebook. Thousands of people participated in the program to commemorate martyrdom of Pandits & and the members of Indian security forces. This program was organized by Panun Kashmir organization and was supported by World Hindu Council of America (VHPA), Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective (HinduPACT) and Hindu Media Bureau (HMB). The topic aptly chosen was, “Smriti aur Sankalp – Remembrance & Reaffirmation.” 

    The program began with offering shradanjali homage to the departed. The webinar was moderated by Mr. Sanjay Kaul, Vice President, World Hindu Council of America (VHPA). In his opening remarks, Mr Kaul said, “It started with the murder of our great leader Pandit Tika Lal Taploo who fell to the bullets of militants of JKLF outside his home on September 13. This was followed by thousands of individual killings and massacres including Sangrampura Massacre; Gool Massacre; Wandhama Massacre; Telwani Massacre; Nadimarg Massacre etc. In Kashmir, it has been a continuous campaign against the minority Hindu community, early this year, we witnessed the brutal killing of Ajay Pandita Bharti. His crime was that he was a Hindu who went back to Kashmir valley to serve the people there. 

    Dr. Shakun Malik, President, Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA) USA welcomed all speakers and the audiences to the program.  In her keynote address she said that hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits were killed by terrorists in Kashmir during militancy. We pay tribute to all  those nationalist people and members of the security forces  who sacrificed their lives while fighting terrorism in the state.

    Mr. Sanjay Kaul, invited each panelist to share his or her insights and views on the topic. Firstly, Dr. Ajay Chrungoo, Chairman, Panun Kashmir, a political movement of Kashmiri Pandits founded as a result of the forced exodus and genocide of Hindus in Kashmir, in 1990s. Dr Chrungoo gavea historical context of J&K State and set the agenda in the context of Hindu genocide in Kashmir. Hesaid that Balidan Divas is observed by Kashmiri Pandits since 1990 to commemorate martyrdom of Pandits. He described horrific stories of torture & killings meted out to his community and then shared the aspirations of the Hindu community with the audiences. Next panelist Padma Bhushan Prof. Ved Nanda, Sanghchalak of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) North America stated that Martyrs day is observed as the day to protest the ruthless killing of Pandits by the terrorists as a mark of remembrance and reaffirmation. As an authority on International Law, he focused on describing the process to get Internally Displaced Person status for Kashmiri Hindus while waiting for a permanent solution? And closed his remarks by reaffirming the vision of Kashmiri Hindus to be settled back in a territory of their own as allowed by the constitution where they could practice political, economic, religious and cultural freedom.

    The third panelist, Mr. Sushil Pandit, Founder, Roots in Kashmir (RIK) enunciated that during the disturbing phase, many women were raped, 1,500 Kashmiri Pandits and 5,000 security personnel were murdered, and more than 5 lakh people were thrown out of their homes. He also said that around 50,000 Kashmiri Pandits lost their lives due to starvation and devastation. Mr. Pandit being a scholar of history and a political commentator shared his impressions on the developments that have taken place post abrogation of Articles 370 & 35A and shared his opinion on where it will lead us. 

    The next panelist, Mr. Utsav Chakrabarti, Executive Director, Hindu Policy Analysis & Advocacy Collective (Hindu PACT) narrated some horrifying situations and how people left the valley due to the mass genocide and said that we remember those days and pay homage to all the people who lost their lives to the bullets of the Islamic terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. As a person who has been very active in Washington DC power circles for last 20 years, Mr. Charabarti spoke about his experience in terms of representation of the Kashmir issue in the US political space. He was thankful to Kashmiri Hindu diaspora for distributing information on Kashmir conflict and sharing a true narrative on what actually happened there. 

    The next panelist, Smt. Lakshmi Kaul, Founder, Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society (KPCS) talked about the nature and extent of the cultural loss suffered by the displaced Kashmiris as a result of the destructions by the terrorists. The exiled Kashmiris are not yet able to revive their language, literature, art music, and dance. She shared the concerns of the Hindu community and talked about how the Hindu diaspora could be mobilized to support the cause of Kashmiri Hindus. 

    The next panelist, Shri Shambhav Sharma, Creator & Host of “The Sham Sharma Show” narrated how the terrorists brutally devastated the Valley, once regarded a paradise on this earth, and hounded its original residents, the Kashmiri Pandits, out of their homes. Being media person who is in direct contact with ethnic Indian audience, Mr. Sharma spoke about how to engage Hindu diaspora, especially youth and young adults. He focused on the challenges, difficulties and hot button issues. 

    The final panelist was a teenager Sagar Koul. Sagar a second generation Kashmiri Hindu born and bough up in the USA, spoke about how he related to his parent’s passion for Kashmir as their homeland. He spoke about his interest to get involved in this struggle and a desire to be able to go to Kashmir at will. 

    In the last 30 minutes, audiences’ questions were answered by the panelists very methodically. Some audiences used Zoom chat or Facebook comments options to ask their questions. One of the participants said that this Zoom webinar was very informative and educational as she obtained the factual data from the primary sources and true-life stories. 

    At the end, Mr. Sanjay Kaul thanked all the panelists for their presentations and the audiences for their active participation in the program.