KOA Strongly Condemns the Heinous Terror Attack on Hindu Tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir

Targeted for being Hindu: a widow's tears in Pahalgam, mourning the sudden and violent loss of her beloved husband. Death toll climbs to 28.

The Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA) expresses its deepest shock, grief, and outrage at the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam, Anantnag district, Jammu & Kashmir, India. April 22 will forever be remembered as the day that at least 26 innocent tourists were massacred by radical Islamist terrorists after being identified as Hindus in the most dehumanizing manner. They were targeted solely for their Hindu faith.

This barbaric act is a chilling reminder of the horrors endured by the Kashmiri Hindus also known as the Kashmiri Pandits. It reflects the same hatred and extremist ideology that led to the tragic genocide and exodus of our community from the Valley decades ago.

We urge the Government of India to act decisively and urgently to bring the perpetrators and their sponsors to justice, dismantle the terror networks operating in the region, and take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and dignity of civilians -  especially Hindus: tourists, workers, and the handful of Kashmiri Pandits who continue to live under threat.

Let us not be disillusioned into thinking that thriving tourism equates to normalcy in Kashmir. There can be no lasting peace unless justice prevails and justice has been elusive for Kashmiri Hindus.

Reality Check:

• Thousands of Kashmiri Hindus still live in refugee camps in Jammu, 35 years after our genocide and exodus at the hands of radical Islamist forces.

• Justice delayed is justice denied. Not a single conviction to date for an ongoing genocide that began with the brutal murders of Tika Lal Taploo, B.K. Ganjoo, Justice Neelkanth Ganjoo, Sarwanand Koul Premi, Girja Tickoo, Sarla Bhat, and Prana Ganjoo and continued with the horrifying massacres at Wandhama and Nadimarg, among countless others.

• Our homes were looted, burnt down, and sold under distress.

• Our temples were desecrated and abandoned.

Tourism cannot whitewash the truth! Each attack reopens wounds we’ve never had the chance to heal. Our pain has been ignored far too long. Our struggle for justice, dignity, and rightful return continues.

To our fellow citizens across India and the world: We urge you to stand with us not just in mourning, but in demanding justice. Terror against any Indian is terror against us all. Only by standing united against hatred can we secure peace for future generations.

The KOA reaffirms its steadfast commitment to advocate for a Kashmir where peace, dignity, and safety are guaranteed for all, irrespective of faith, and where such atrocities are never repeated.

We offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. We share in your grief and stand united in the demand for justice and accountability.

In grief and solidarity, Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA)

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