Wearing masks and following social distancing norms, the protesters used digital truck and car displays to mark Kashmir’s Black Day, the dawn of Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism. Mohan Sapru, the rally organiser and Washington DC GKPD coordinator, said, “The protesters gathered to voice their strong condemnation of Pakistan’s 73-year long perpetual policy of cross-border terrorism and covert operations in Kashmir, which have targeted the minority communities, i.e., Kashmiri Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Buddhists. “Cross-border aggression against peaceful Kashmir by Pakistan-trained and sponsored militia called Kabalis on the fateful day of October 22, 1947 marked the birth of the Kashmir problem.

“The brutality of cross-border Islamic terrorism has continued unabated and resulted in the genocide and forced exodus of indigenous Kashmiri Hindus during the dark period of 1989-1991. World communities need to be honest in calling out the menace of Islamic terrorism worldwide, recognise the Kashmiri Hindu genocide and acknowledge the human rights violation of this minority community.

“For true peace to return to Kashmir, the menace of Islamic terrorism needs to be uprooted, and perpetrators of rape and murder of Kashmiri Hindus must be brought to justice. There is still no comprehensive viable plan in sight for the safe return to the Valley of indigenous Kashmiri Hindus, who have become refugees in their own country. The agony and hardships of a few hundred Kashmiri Hindu families, who continued to live in the Kashmir Valley, still remain largely unaddressed.”