'Reminder of what is at stake for us': Zoho's Sridhar Vembu as Partition memories resurface after Pahalgam
Sridhar Vembu's statement came in solidarity with entrepreneur Prakash Dadlani's reflection on the trauma of Partition and the long shadow it continues to cast.
- Apr 23, 2025,
- Updated Apr 23, 2025 8:47 PM IST
"These terrorist attacks are a reminder of what is at stake for us," said Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu in a post reacting to the Pahalgam massacre, which left 26 people dead, most of them tourists. His statement came in solidarity with entrepreneur Prakash Dadlani's reflection on the trauma of Partition and the long shadow it continues to cast.
"I have met many Sindhi Hindus living in the US who told me the same thing Prakash-ji says below about his family’s experience of partition. I have heard the same thing from Bengali friends. We have the experience of Kashmiri Pandits in living memory," Vembu wrote. "All this should give us the resolve to make sure it never happens in our nation again."
The Zoho founder's post came in response to a viral message by Dadlani, who wrote: “In 1947, my family had three choices: A. Convert to Islam; B. Leave their home, all belongings & flee with zero; C. Stay where they are and die. They chose B. (I thank God every single day that they did).”
He added: “Left their home and all their belongings in Sindh and became refugees overnight. For a promise of safety. For the idea of India. Decades later, their mindset towards Hindus is still the same. We will always be the Kafirs. And I put this on record to say that: It will happen again.”
Dadlani's post concluded with a call for reclaiming territories: “Even I might forget this attack. But what I’ll never forget is the day our Govt. takes back POK (& surrounding areas), Sindh, Balochistan. It's the time to take back what is ours. Not for hatred, but for the safety of my countrymen. And for the families like mine that never got to go home.”
The Pahalgam terror attack took place on Tuesday evening when terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists in Baisaran, a meadow known for its scenic beauty. The attack is being described as the worst since Pulwama in 2019. Among the dead were two foreigners—one from the UAE and another from Nepal—along with three Indian tourists from West Bengal. Several others were injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in Saudi Arabia at the time, cut short his visit and returned to India early Wednesday. He chaired a meeting with the Cabinet Committee on Security this evening.
The Cabinet Committee on Security, which includes External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman — who also cut short her US trip—convened to assess the situation and deliberate India’s response.
The government has vowed that those behind the attack “will not be spared and brought to justice.” But the conversation sparked by voices like Vembu and Dadlani reflects a deeper national anxiety — rooted in historic trauma and fears of repetition—that such attacks only reignite.
"These terrorist attacks are a reminder of what is at stake for us," said Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu in a post reacting to the Pahalgam massacre, which left 26 people dead, most of them tourists. His statement came in solidarity with entrepreneur Prakash Dadlani's reflection on the trauma of Partition and the long shadow it continues to cast.
"I have met many Sindhi Hindus living in the US who told me the same thing Prakash-ji says below about his family’s experience of partition. I have heard the same thing from Bengali friends. We have the experience of Kashmiri Pandits in living memory," Vembu wrote. "All this should give us the resolve to make sure it never happens in our nation again."
The Zoho founder's post came in response to a viral message by Dadlani, who wrote: “In 1947, my family had three choices: A. Convert to Islam; B. Leave their home, all belongings & flee with zero; C. Stay where they are and die. They chose B. (I thank God every single day that they did).”
He added: “Left their home and all their belongings in Sindh and became refugees overnight. For a promise of safety. For the idea of India. Decades later, their mindset towards Hindus is still the same. We will always be the Kafirs. And I put this on record to say that: It will happen again.”
Dadlani's post concluded with a call for reclaiming territories: “Even I might forget this attack. But what I’ll never forget is the day our Govt. takes back POK (& surrounding areas), Sindh, Balochistan. It's the time to take back what is ours. Not for hatred, but for the safety of my countrymen. And for the families like mine that never got to go home.”
The Pahalgam terror attack took place on Tuesday evening when terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists in Baisaran, a meadow known for its scenic beauty. The attack is being described as the worst since Pulwama in 2019. Among the dead were two foreigners—one from the UAE and another from Nepal—along with three Indian tourists from West Bengal. Several others were injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in Saudi Arabia at the time, cut short his visit and returned to India early Wednesday. He chaired a meeting with the Cabinet Committee on Security this evening.
The Cabinet Committee on Security, which includes External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman — who also cut short her US trip—convened to assess the situation and deliberate India’s response.
The government has vowed that those behind the attack “will not be spared and brought to justice.” But the conversation sparked by voices like Vembu and Dadlani reflects a deeper national anxiety — rooted in historic trauma and fears of repetition—that such attacks only reignite.