SAARC Diary: India Condemns Terror Attack in Afghan Girls School
NEW DELHI, May 10: India has strongly condemned the terrorist attack on Kabul’s Sayed al-Shuhada Girls School on Saturday, which killed more than 50 innocent girl students during Ramadan.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the young girls who were killed in this barbaric attack.” By focusing on young female students, this is an assault on Afghanistan’s future. The perpetrators specifically want to demolish the meticulous and hard-won accomplishments made by Afghans over the last two decades.
On Saturday afternoon, at least three explosions occurred near Sayed-ul-Shuhada High School in Kabul’s west. The assault killed over 50 schoolgirls. The assault began with a car bomb explosion and continued with two rocket attacks.
Arindam Bagchi, the official spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said in a tweet message “India strongly condemns the terrorist attack on Sayed al-Shuhada Girls school in Kabul yesterday, which killed more than 50 innocent girl students during the holy month of Ramadan”.
The statement further added the incident highlights the urgent need to demolish terrorist safe havens and the immediate need for a substantive national ceasefire to make the peace process meaningful and sustainable. India has always sponsored Afghan youth education and remains committed to Afghanistan’s growth and development.
Sri Lanka
Even as Sri Lanka battles the pandemic, with a reported 1,25,000 confirmed cases and 786 deaths due to Covid-19 as of Sunday, the country conducted special prayers and ceremonies involving citizens of various faiths across Sri Lanka on Saturday in solidarity with the well-being of the people of India. “The richness of these unity ceremonies was a true manifestation of the peoples of India and Sri Lanka’s camaraderie and connection,” Indian High Commission in Colombo said.
The Ministry of Buddhasasana, Cultural and Religious Affairs, led by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, organised a multi-religious, countrywide ‘Vishwa Ashirwada Horawa’ on Saturday. The Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Gopal Baglay, attended the special ceremony at Sri Gangaramaya Temple. On this occasion, the holy Rathna Sutra and Jwara Pirith were also recited. The pious event was also attended by the ambassadors of Japan and Vietnam, as well as many other diplomats.
Mahamritunjaya maha yagya was also performed on Saturday at all five Easwarams in Sri Lanka at the same time. Office bearers of Kondavil Ayyappa and Maaviddapuram Kandaswamy Temples, handed over letters of solidarity addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to S. Balachandran, Consul General of India in Jaffna.
Jaffna’s Catholic churches held a one-hour prayer service for the citizens of Sri Lanka, India, and other countries that are reeling under the covid wave and parallel prayers were also conducted at private residences at the same time on Saturday.
In the recent weeks, a slew of such prayers and ceremonies have taken place throughout the island nation.
(Venkatesh Iyer)
