- Tuesday, May 06, 2025
The Democrat lawmaker wants Washington to treat India with the same strategic importance as other key allies, notably Israel
By: India Weekly
INDIAN-ORIGIN Congressman Shri Thanedar has expressed dissatisfaction over the US administration’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
At a memorial and Congressional briefing, the Democrat lawmaker representing Michigan said, “Statements aren’t enough—action is needed.”
The event ‘Pakistan’s Proxy War Against Hindus Global Implications’ was held at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC, on Monday.
It was jointly organized by HinduACTion along with the Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora (GKPD) and the Kashmir Overseas Association USA (KOA-USA).
Thanedar urged Hindu Americans to mobilize politically and called on Washington to treat India with the same strategic importance as other key allies, notably Israel.
According to Utsav Chakrabarti, executive director of HinduACTion, the victims of the April 22 attack were remembered and shlokas from the Bhagavad Gita were recited.
The briefing was also joined by Department of Defence consultant Krystle Kaul.
Surinder Kaul, co-founder of GKPD, said: “What happened in Kashmir is part of a larger global terrorism challenge. Extremism’s tentacles extend far beyond its borders.”
Michael Rubin likened the needed India–US partnership to the Margaret Thatcher–George Bush alliance during the Gulf War, and urged prime minister Narendra Modi to maintain strategic pressure on president Donald Trump.
“There’s no excuse for the US not to stand by one of its closest democratic allies,” Rubin said.
Last Wednesday (30), US secretary of state Marco Rubio spoke separately with external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The US urged the two countries to “de-escalate tensions”, and reaffirmed its commitment to cooperate with Delhi against terrorism and urged Islamabad’s cooperation in investigating the “unconscionable” terror attack.
Sushant Sareen, senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, cautioned against “Pakistan’s nuclear blackmail.”
He claimed that Islamabad uses its nuclear arsenal to deter accountability, while continuing to back jihadist groups.
Utsav Chakrabarti highlighted the troubling flow of US taxpayer dollars to Pakistan.
On behalf of the other co-hosts, Chakrabarti laid out three urgent policy recommendations.
They include passing a bipartisan concurrent resolution in both the House and Senate declaring Pakistan a state sponsor of terrorism.
Other recommendations include halting all multilateral loans and economic aid to Pakistan and enforcing a complete ban on the sale of all military and dual-use technologies to Pakistan. (PTI)
