Odisha Unites in Candlelight Marches to Honor Pahalgam Terror Attack Victims

Solidarity Across Odisha

In Bhubaneswar, numerous political factions and organizations gathered on Wednesday evening to participate in candlelight marches throughout Odisha. These events were held to denounce the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and to show support for the victims' families.

Members of the Congress party, led by OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das, initiated a candlelight procession from Congress Bhawan, while the ruling BJP organized a similar tribute near Sri Ram Mandir, honoring those who lost their lives in the attack in Kashmir.

Leftist parties, including CPI(M), also held their own demonstrations to protest against the violence.

All participating political groups called for severe repercussions for those behind this heinous act.

The tragic incident in Pahalgam claimed the lives of 26 individuals, including one from Odisha. Prashant Satpathy, a resident of Balasore district and an employee at the Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET), was among the deceased, most of whom were tourists.

In Balasore town, a Muslim community organization organized a rally condemning the attack and advocating for the safety of ordinary citizens. A banner at the event read, 'We want justice.'

Right-wing groups, including the Hindu Jagaran Manch, also took to the streets to denounce the attack and urged the central government to take decisive action against terrorism.

The Jai Hind organization, inspired by the ideology of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, held a silent rally to protest the attack and expressed their support for the Indian Army's efforts to combat terrorism.

Reports of similar candlelight marches emerged from various districts across Odisha.

In a creative tribute, renowned sand artist Sudarshan Pattanaik crafted a sand sculpture at Puri beach in memory of the victims of the Pahalgam attack.