Canada: Hindus, Sikhs celebrate fifth anniversary of Article 370 abrogation, hail Modi government's 'bold move'

Ontario [Canada], August 6 : The Hindu and Sikh communities in Canada celebrated the fifth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 at an event on Monday.
The event was held in a banquet hall in Mississauga City under the organizational platform of the Hindu Forum Canada.
Over 150 people from Hindu and Sikh communities gathered at the event. They offered prayers and hailed the historic decision.

There were arrangements for a dinner party along with DJ dance music to celebrate the occasion. The event ended up with Punjabi bhangra dances.
Rao Yendamuri, the President of Hindu Forum Canada thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking the decision to abrogate Article 370 on August 5, 2019.
A woman named Devi, who is the manager of Hindu Forum Canada hailed the abrogation and said the decision returned the rights of minorities in Jammu and Kashmir.

"I just want to say that I'm so glad to be here celebrating the abrogation of Article 370 that has resulted in a lot of people suffering and their human rights being taken away. But with the abrogation, it was a movement that signified the return of their rights and the rights of minority non-Muslim communities that are residents in Kashmir and Jammu," she said.
"This day marks a significant victory for the justice, freedom, and return of rights to Hindus and other non-Muslim religious minorities like Sikhs, etc. in Jammu and Kashmir, who have long endured struggles for basic human rights and justice. Today, Canadians, Hindus, and Sikhs, we are all very happy and we are celebrating together the fifth anniversary. And whatever the Modi government has done, nobody has dared to do it and we are very proud of it. And due to this reason, we are celebrating Article 370 obligation," another member present at the event said.

Canadian Jewish political commentator, Daniel Boardman, congratulated India on taking the bold step five years back.
"As a Jew, I know what happens when people talk about genocide," Boardman said.
"You have to celebrate doing the right thing when it works out. If you remember back five years ago, many of the so-called experts were saying that this would cause catastrophe and the sky is going to fall and all these different things. But no, Kashmir got better because of that. And it's important to hammer that home and make that point," he added.
Baloch leader, Zafar Baloch, drew a parallel line between the Pakistan Army's terrorism in Kashmir and Balochistan.

"Baloch have dubbed CPEC as a corridor of death and destruction for Balochistan and its people who face brutal military operations, atrocities, and human rights violations," he said.
"The terrorism in Kashmir, incited by Pakistan, and the violence that went with it. It's an orchestrated state sanctioned," Baloch added.
Canadian journalist, Tahir Aslam Gora, also shed light on the future of Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu and Kashmir.
Some Kashmiri Pandits also spoke on this occasion and lauded the decision of the Narendra Modi government.
In August 2019, the Centre revoked Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the region into two Union Territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.