By Chandra Gaajula
Sacramento, CA – On Sunday, April 27th, 2025, at 5:00 PM, over 125 members of the Sacramento community gathered at the State Capitol’s West Lawn for a solemn vigil to honor victims of the April 22nd terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Elected officials and leaders from Hindu American organizations joined the event, which was marked by silence, unity, and shared grief. Demands were made for decisive actions to be taken following the barbaric terrorist attack. Attendees maintained silence and decorum throughout the event, reflecting the gravity of the occasion.
The vigil honored the victims of the attack that occurred on April 22nd, 2025, in Pahalgam, a place described as once a symbol of the Valley’s blooming tourism industry. Sources detail that masked terrorists methodically lined up Indian tourists, demanding identification and proof of religion. Chilling survivor accounts reveal victims were asked to recite Islamic prayers and, in some cases, forced to remove clothing as a crude test to differentiate Hindus from Muslims. Those who failed this test were shot at point-blank range. The assault resulted in 26 deaths. All but one victim were Hindus. Specifically, innocent Hindu male tourists were isolated, religiously profiled, and brutally murdered in front of their families, including kids. Speakers at the vigil emphasized that the victims were killed primarily because they were Hindu. This horrific act was described by the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA (HSS) as not just a crime against individuals and a community, but a vile attack on the very fabric of humanity and civilization, demonstrating a conscious embrace of violence and hatred over peace.
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA (HSS) vehemently condemned the attack, calling it a heinous act of terror fueled by a state-sponsored hateful ideology of radical Islamist extremism, which starkly exposes dark forces undermining global peace and coexistence. The attack was characterized as bearing the hallmarks of a well-coordinated, state-enabled operation designed to terrorize, destabilize, and assert an Islamist supremacist agenda. This religiously driven massacre targeted a specific faith – the Hindus.
A significant point of discussion among speakers and in background materials provided was the perceived inadequacy and bias in the reporting by major Western media outlets. People argue that what should have been explicitly named a ‘terrorist massacre of Hindus by Islamist extremists’ was transformed into vague incidents involving “gunmen” in “Indian-administered Kashmir”. Critics highlighted the use of terms like “gunmen,” “militants,” or “rebels” instead of terrorists, and the failure of many initial reports to bluntly state that Hindus were killed because they were Hindus. This approach was called a failure of journalism and an act of editorial complicity in the erasure of Hindu suffering, particularly noting the reluctance to use the word “Hindu” when the victims’ religious identity was central to the attackers’ intent. Furthermore, the use of terms like “Indian-administered Kashmir” or “disputed Kashmir” was criticized as politically charged and subtly undermining India’s sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir.
The geopolitical context was also addressed. Sources linked the attack to recent rhetoric from Pakistan, particularly General Asim Munir’s statements referring to Kashmir as Pakistan’s “jugular vein” and supporting the two-nation theory, which are seen as enabling terror proxies. Following the attack, India reportedly suspended the Indus Water Treaty, citing sustained cross-border terrorism by Pakistan. Unprovoked firing by the Pakistani Army at Indian posts across the Line of Control (LoC) was also reported in the nights following the attack.
The vigil featured messages and speeches from various community leaders and elected officials. Messages were relayed from Assemblyman Josh Hoover. Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen addressed the gathering, condemning the “heinous acts,” rejecting terrorism, and specifically noting that 25 of the innocent lives lost were “our Hindu brothers.” She called for accountability and emphasized the need to stand “shoulder-to-shoulder,” rejecting violence daily. She conveyed Congressman Ami Bera’s regrets and assurance that they would work together to ensure cries are heard and those responsible are held accountable. Mayor Singh-Allen urged attendees not to let terrorists divide the community and stressed their shared humanity, asking people to hold hands to show collective strength and unity.
Rocklin City Council Member Ken Broadway also offered condolences to the victims’ families. Sangeetha Shankar, representing the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), also shared a message from the CEO of the Jewish Federation, Mariela Socolovsky – “The Jewish Federation of Sacramento Region shares in the deep pain and anguish of those victims of the brutal and senseless killings in Kashmir. As a people who have been repeatedly victimized by terrorism, we stand with those in our local community and around the world in condemning this attack and extend ourselves to working together with all who wish to build a brighter future and more common humanity.”
Community speakers shared heartfelt messages:
Ramakrishna from HSS emphasized the community’s responsibility to show solidarity. He reiterated HSS’s condemnation of the barbaric attack, calling it a wild attack on humanity and civilization, where the ruin of civilization was witnessed. He conveyed HSS’s deepest condolences and solidarity with the people of Bharat/India. He appealed to American civic leaders and lawmakers to stand against terrorism and highlighted the importance of uniting the Hindu community to stop such attacks in the future, citing historical figures like Shivaji Maharaj and Sri Krishna Devaraya, who united people to retaliate and win.
Sangeetha Shankar from HAF further elaborated, stating the attack specifically targeted Hindus for their faith with cold-blooded precision, calling it an attack on religious freedom and human dignity. She noted the possibility that this could have happened to any of the attendees. She highlighted HAF’s decades of work documenting the plight of Kashmiri Hindus and expressed the deep pain felt by the community. She explicitly named the issue as state-sponsored Pakistan-sponsored religious hate stemming from radical Islamist ideology. She strongly criticized the media for “dumbing down the issues” and failing to call it “State sponsored Pakistan sponsored Islamist terrorism”. She urged attendees to use HAF resources to educate themselves and others, advocate for action from elected officials, and not shy away from talking about the issue, warning that it could happen “in our backyard”.
Ashwin from the Coalition of Hindus of North America (COHNA) powerfully stated that the victims were killed “because they were Hindu,” not for their region or language. He criticized the media and others for avoiding this truth, focusing instead on irrelevant questions. He pushed back against the idea that speaking plainly about the attack spreads hate, asking about the hate the victims experienced. He urged the community to speak up, be louder than those who silence them, and unite, stating that “no amount of this can stop us” if they are united.
Sunil Kumar delivered a Hindi poem expressing frustration with Indian politicians’ decisions, which he felt led to suffering, contrasting it with the sacrifices of soldiers and citizens. The poem spoke movingly of the grief of families. He recalled Indian military successes in past wars and criticized subsequent political decisions. He praised Prime Minister Modi’s actions after Pulwama and Balakot but urged for even stricter measures against Pakistan, including immediately stopping water flow under the Indus Water Treaty and severing all relations. Another speaker summarized this sentiment, thanking Modi while emphasizing the need to “up the resistance” against political failures.
Rajat Mahajan, a community leader, emphasized the call to action and stressed that the time has come, the moment is upon us, when we must redeem that pledge. A pledge to protect our people. A pledge to stand against barbarism. A pledge to end the medieval savagery that dares to show its face as Islamist terror.
Speakers Bhaskar Vempathi and Selvi Janardhanan from the Indian Association of Sacramento (IAS) also shared their thoughts.
The organizers’ position was articulated through the reading and approval of a “Pledge of Solidarity and Resolve”. The pledge stated that the community gathered in sorrow, strength, and unshakable unity, remembering the 26 innocent lives, described as Hindu men and women, brutally taken in the cowardly Islamist terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Bharat/India. It emphasized that the victims were targeted for who they were, because of their faith, asked about their religion and belief, and executed if they could not prove it. The pledge committed to speaking their names and carrying their memory as a call to action. It declared solidarity with the shattered families and the Hindu community worldwide facing violence, persecution, and silence.
Crucially, the pledge included commitments:
To name the evil clearly: This was an Islamist terror attack, and its victims were Hindu.
To never let fear of political correctness silence truth.
To oppose terrorism in all forms, regardless of origin or target.
To demand accountability from sponsors, justifiers, and those who remain silent.
The pledge called for this moment to be the beginning of truth-telling, vigilance, and justice, for the victims, for Hindus everywhere living in fear, and for the future. It concluded with a powerful commitment: “We pledge never again. Not in silence, not in fear, and not on our watch.” The pledge was put to a vote and unanimously approved by the gathered community members.
The vigil concluded with the recitation of the Shanti Mantra (peace prayer) and a group photo. The event also included a single-line silent march, a poignant display of collective grief and resolve.
This vigil served as a powerful statement of mourning, solidarity, and a united call for truth, accountability, and action against the forces of religiously-motivated terrorism and those who enable or downplay it.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Voice of Hindus. Any content provided by our contributors or authors is their opinion.
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