Long Island, New York | April 27, 2025 — In a powerful expression of solidarity and compassion, the Indo-American community gathered at Eisenhower Park for a solemn candlelight vigil honoring the victims of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. Organized by Indo American Community Voice.Org, in collaboration with over 40 prominent cultural, spiritual, and civic organizations, the vigil served as a moving tribute to the innocent lives lost and a call for global peace.

The event brought together community leaders, elected officials, and hundreds of attendees under one banner of unity and resilience. Among the key supporting organizations were: AAPI (Dr. Kishan Kumar), AIA National (Gobind Munjal), AIA NY (Beena Kothari), Arya Samaj of Long Island (Dr. Yashpal Arya & Veer Mukhi), American Malayalee Association (Thomas Joy and Hon. Kevin Thomas), FIPA (Dr. Raj Bhayani), APS (Gary Sikka & Mohinder Singh Taneja), ASAMAI Hindu Temple (Gobind Bathija), Bollywood Insider (Varinder Bhalla), FBIMA (Koshy Thomas & Dincil George), Gujarathi Samaj (Harshad Bhai Patel), HOLI (Urmila Shivaram), HSS (Jaya Patil), Humanity First (Omkar Singh), IAAC (Deepak Bansal), IANA (Vimal Goyal), IDP (Vimal Goyal & Deepak Bansal), IAF (Indu Jaiswal), IALI (Jasbir Singh), Indo American Lions Club (Anju Sharma), Indian Panorama (Prof. Inderjit Saluja), Kashmiri Overseas Association (Dr. Virender Hak & Mohan Wanchoo), KKNY (Raghu Ranganath), LIDC (Paul Bindra), LILC (Pinky Jaggi), Lotus in the Mud (Parveen Chopra), MAHIMA (Dr.Purushotaman Paciker), NYTTA (Vani S. Anugu), RANA (Neelam Modi), SAAWA (Dr. Anila Midha), SAAWO (Suhag Mehta), South Asian Times (Kamlesh Mehta), Soul of Hindutva (Gobind Singh Negi), TANA (Deepika Sammeta), TLCA (Sumant Ram), Tri-State Events (Atul Sharma), TTA (Jaya Prakash Enjapuri), The World Voice (Mukesh Modi), Vaishnav Temple (Anil Shah), VHI (Nayan Kisnadwala), WVV (Rakesh Bhargav), and YICG (Rathi Raja)—demonstrating a united front in the face of tragedy.

The program began with a solemn prayer by Narinder Kapoor and an ardas led by Bhai Bhupinder Singh Ji, Head Granthi of Gurdwara Shaheedan,  followed by heartfelt renditions of the American and Indian national anthems by Nipun Marwaha. Dr. Bobby Kalotee Chairman of Human Rights Commission – Nassau County, along with Bina Sabapathy, Founder President of Indo American Community Voice, welcomed the crowd with a message of peace and unity.

Distinguished dignitaries in attendance included Hon. Binay Srikanta Pradhan, Consul General of India in New York, Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips, North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, Former NY Senator Kevin Thomas, Town Clerk Ragini Srivastava, Councilman Edward Scott, and Wioleta Dusza Human rights commissioner – Nassau County each sharing messages of sympathy, support, and solidarity. Several officials sent representatives, including County Executive Bruce Blakeman (via Elaine Phillips), Chuck Schumer US. Senate Minority Leader for United Sates Senate (Taranbir Kaur), Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino (Harry Malhotra), and Governor Kathy Hochul (Joey Ramirez).

Prominent community leaders such as Kamlesh Mehta, Mukesh Modi, Mohan Wanchoo, Dr. Urmila Shivaram, Indu Jaiswal, Prof. Indrajit Saluja, Sgt. Thomas, and Koshy Thomas, among many others, offered prayers and reflections, emphasizing the need for peace, compassion, and vigilance against violence.

Venus Bhasin, representing NY State Senator Steven Rhoads, coordinated along with Onkar Singh hospitality efforts including hot Tea sponsored by Punjabi Dhaba. A soulful musical tribute by Anil Dua echoed messages of peace and healing.

The highlight of the evening was the deeply moving candlelight vigil, joined by members of Glen Cove, Hicksville, and Plainview Gurudwaras, as well as representatives from surrounding temples. Thousands gathered in silent prayer, united in grief and hope, offering strength to the victims’ families and reaffirming the community’s stand against terrorism.

The program concluded with peaceful prayers led by Acharya Shri Madan Jha and Swami Brajeshwaeanand Ji, leaving the audience with a message of spiritual strength and resolve.

A special thank you was extended to media partners including TV Asia, ITV Gold, Preetnama, Hum Hindustani, The South Asian Times, The Indian Panorama, The World Voice, Newsday, and Nassau County for providing the Eisenhower Park, Kite Fiend and stage.

The evening was a testament to the Indo-American community’s enduring values—resilience, compassion, and unity. Even in times of darkness, these values shine as beacons of hope and humanity.