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CoHNA board member condemns Pahalgam attack at Vegas city council meet
Sudha Jagannathan called the violence “unprovoked” and said it has left behind widows, orphans, and families shattered.
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Pranavi Sharma - Wed, 21, May 2025
- 23:23 EDT
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Sudha Jagannathan. / Las Vegas City Council
Sudha Jagannathan, a board member of the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) urged city leaders to condemn the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir that left 26 tourists dead on Apr. 22. Jagannathan made the appeal at a Las Vegas City Council meeting held on May 7.
Jagannathan, who is a Las Vegas resident, addressed the council during a public comment session. She spoke on behalf of the local Hindu community, many of whom, she said, are still reeling from the violence.
"It's reeling from shock of a horror incident that happened in Kashmir, India on the 22nd of April," Jagannathan said. "Some of the victims are personally known to us. They were tourists in an area enjoying a beautiful day and they were murdered just because they were of the wrong religion."
The Apr. 22 attack occurred in the scenic town of Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, a region that has experienced repeated episodes of violence.
Jagannathan shared disturbing details from eyewitness accounts. “The male victims were forced to unzip their pants to allow assailants to determine whether they were circumcised,” she said. “A very crude and barbaric method of verifying religious affiliation.”
She called the violence “unprovoked” and said it has left behind widows, orphans, and families shattered—some victims were newlyweds, she said, married just a week before the massacre.
Addressing the council, Jagannathan asked members “not only to condemn the April 22nd massacre but to stand firmly in solidarity with the victims and with our worldwide community… that we don't stay silent when things like this happen anywhere in the world”.
She also spoke about how her community has responded in the aftermath of the attack. “Last week we held a small peace rally in honor of those victims,” she said, “and then we decided to take a positive action by continuing to hold an event that we had pre-planned… to honor the teachers in Las Vegas and Henderson.”
The event, called Guru Vandana or teacher appreciation, took place on May 5. Jagannathan thanked the Las Vegas City Council for issuing a proclamation in support of it.
“I just wanted to be heard here today,” she concluded. “And I feel good that the city stands with us as we stand with the rest of our community.”
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