Chicago IL: With the chants of “Bharat Matha Ki Jai’ reverberating on the famed Michigan Avenue corridor, a massive congregation of deeply grieved Indian Americans bearing tricolor Indian and star-spangled American flags with placards of denouncing Pakistan for promoting terrorism – thundered through the famed Michigan Ave corridor with a huge protest rally in front of Pakistan Consulate Office that which shifted to the Chinese Consulate Office in what can be described as the largest rally of the Indian Americans in downtown Chicago on Thursday, February 21, 2019.
For the first time ever, the protest rally marched to the Chinese Consulate office to show displeasure and chastise Chinese government for their explicit support to Pakistan. More than 400 motivated Indian Americans assembled to show strength of unity and solidarity with the fallen soldiers. Large convoys of remarkable size of Indian Americans arrived in buses, cars and trains to show solidarity with India especially the victims of Pulwama terrorist attack perpetrated with active connivance of Pakistan.
Raising slogans within an earshot of Pakistani Consul General, the crowds continued to raise the protest decibels. In some remarks, emotions were visible but the resolve was unmistakably firm with each pledging to do their part to awaken the world community of these seemingly frequent murderous assaults on Indians.
The protest rally and the aftermath has spilled over massively on an unprecedented scale in the social media with texts pouring in at astonishing speed filling up the platform with grief, sorrow and anger for the cowardly terrorist attack and vowed that Indian Americans will launch a sustained campaign against Pakistan until it stops the cross-border terrorism.
With the patriotic fervor spilling over on the sidewalks of Michigan Ave. all the way to the Chinese Consulate Office down a mile away on Erie Street. The slogans and remarks were interspersed with grief and outrage at the dastardly attack on 40 helpless CRPF soldiers who were ambushed with a suicide attack.
Dr. Bharat Barai, a prominent Indian American community leader in his remarks welcomed the outpouring support of the Indian Americans gathered on a cold afternoon and thanked them for their unfailing patriotic spirit. Dr. Bharat Barai chastised Pakistan for their continued mayhem with their repeated murderous rampage in Him outlined 5000 years history of India with Kashmir as an epicenter of Religious, Educational, Cultural heritage. After 1947 partition of India, the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir signed an instrument of accession with India, ratified by the elected constituent Assembly. He thanked the World powers including USA, UK, France, Russia, many Islamic countries for condemning the Pulwama attack and supporting India.
The protest rally was largely led by among others: Hemant Patel, Nirav Patel, J.D. Digvanker, Shamkanth Sheth, Prasad Yelalmanchi, Amar Upadhyay, Nitin Garg, Pandya, Chirayu Parikh and Amitabh Mittal. Each of them articulated messages that summarized that Pakistan is a hub of terrorism and is constantly manufacturing company of terrorist; while harboring and nurturing them to be a dark men of death. In a statement, Hemant Patel said Terrorism in not only a political issue; it is also an ideological war, which is affecting the entire humanity. The suicide bombers are brainwashed from their infancy, they are fed with hatred against humanity, and these merchants of death are assured of reward in paradise for killing people. Pakistani connection was found in most major terror attacks in the world. A request was made to the Muslim Community to educate and restrain the Jihadi ideology and terrorism.
FIA’s prominent Trustee Iftekhar Shareef in his remarks expressed outrage and demanded Pakistan cease & desist from perpetrating terrorism mayhem in India. Iftekhar Shareef urged the International communities to join India in collectively condemning this heinous act. Harish Kolasani, Rally Coordinator said if Pakistan were able to kill one Indian, there would be one million who will rise up against them. Harish Kolasani who managed logistics said the rally will bear a huge impact. Dr. Sanhita Agnihotri deeply lamented the loss of lives of the soldiers and pledged that the Indian American community will formulate a plan to support the families of the victims. Keerthi Kumar Ravoori said we mourn the loss of life of the soldiers in this deadliest terrorist attack in India and challenged Pakistan government to take proactive measurable actions to snub the scourge of terrorism.
From there, the Protesters went to the Chinese Consulate. They showed placards denouncing China’s double talk on terrorism. On one side, China denounces all terrorism. On the other side, China has consistently blocked UN Security Council from proscribing the Pakistani terrorist organizations. Lashkar e Taiba and its leader Hafiz Saeed; Jaish e Muhammed and its leader Masood Azhar have been responsible for many terror attacks including Mumbai terrorist attack killing 176 people and recent Pulwama attack killing 44 people. A memorandum was delivered to the Chinese Consulate.