India House in London became a site of grief and mourning for the British Indian diaspora as they gathered for a solemn ceremony to commemorate the victims of the brutal terror attack in Kashmir on April 22, which has claimed 26 lives and injured several others.
The event, held at the Gandhi Hall in the High Commission of India in London, followed the attack being raised in Parliament by Opposition Conservative Party MP Bob Blackman, who has called for a government statement in the Commons. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has since spoken to the Indian Prime Minister to covey his “sincere condolences on the innocent lives lost in the heinous terror attack on Indian soil”.
“He strongly condemned the barbaric terror attack and expressed that UK stands with the people of India in this hour of tragedy,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said of the phone call.
Catherine West, Foreign Office minister in charge of the Indo-Pacific, said: “UK stands shoulder to shoulder in the face of cowardly attacks of terrorism against innocent civilians.
“Both the Upper House and in the House of Commons, we had very solemn words from both sides of the House, remembering those families, those victims. We must pull together at dangerous times like this, emphasise an element of justice, but also put our arms around the families and the communities who are in deep sorrow.”
Labour Indians chair Lord Krish Raval and Vice-Chair Kanishka Narayan and Baroness Sandy Verma were among the speakers who express their solidarity with India.
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“Can I just say how proud I am to be a Hindu, and a British-born Hindu… I'm so grateful that the High Commissioner referenced people of all faiths and none who are in this room and beyond, because every right-thinking person needs to condemn this attack and all other attacks,” said Lord Raval.
Maharashtra's Minister of Social Justice Sanjay Shirsat also joined in the floral tributes at India House and reiterated Prime Minister Modi’s pledge to bring the terrorists to justice.
Community members and officials, led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami, observed a moment of silence to honour the memory of those who lost their lives in the gruesome attack. The gathering, many waving the Indian national flag, then poured out for a vigil and to express their unity in the face of terror.
