Hundreds of Hindus gathered in Eisenhower Park Sunday evening to mourn dozens killed in a deadly attack in Kashmir last week.
They were organized by Hindus of Long Island, a local organization that advocates for Hindu Americans. In a statement posted to their social media accounts, the group invited community members to bring candles to honor the innocent lives lost.
“The vigil was held to pray and mourn for the people slain and support for the families,” said Vasundra Sureka, a representative of the group. “We ourselves are grieving, and we are truly outraged by what happened. We decided to come together as individuals. It was very, very important for us to grieve together.”
The recent attack, which killed 26 tourists, all but one of whom were Indian citizens, took place in Pahalgam, a popular mountainous tourist destination in the Indian-administered portion of the region.
It’s the most recent development in a decades-long conflict in the region, which is controlled partially by both India and Pakistan, though both claim complete control over the region. The two countries have fought three wars over their control since 1947.
Eyewitness survivors said the attackers accused victims of being supporters of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist government, which, in 2019, revoked the constitutional autonomy of Muslim-majority Kashmir and brought it under New Delhi’s control, which sparked widespread protests.
“They are singling out people of a certain religion, and we belong to that religion,” Neelem Modi, a representative of the group said, referring to Hinduism. “We feel that it is our duty to speak up against what is happening in India, in Bangladesh, in Pakistan, of the forcible conversions, the rapes, the killings. We need solidarity with the people who are suffering.”
A little-known, relatively new group called Kashmir Resistance, or The Resistance Front, has claimed accountability for the attack on social media, though their claim has gone unverified. Pakistan has denied involvement in the attack, though India has accused its neighbor of being responsible.
In the aftermath of the attack, New Delhi said it would suspend participation in a crucial water agreement between the two countries, which Pakistan has said it would consider an act of war. India said it launched a missile test strike in a show of strength.
Hindus of Long Island expressed concern over the escalated tensions in the region, particularly because some of their members have family from Kashmir. The group held multiple other vigils across New York over the weekend and plans to hold a prayer in recognition of the attack at their Holi and Ram Navami celebration in Manhasset this Saturday.
