Honoring their Light: Calling for Bold Action
In just three years, acts of gender-based violence have claimed the lives of 51 South Asian Americans—each a devastating loss that shakes the very foundation of our community. This year alone, we grieve 19 lives taken too soon in our annual remembrance series, Their Light Remains. These losses are not isolated tragedies; they are part of a relentless pattern of violence, compounded by a worsening sociopolitical climate. We refuse to let their stories to fade into silence.
In their memory, South Asian SOAR and its member organizations have come together to demand bold action. Co-signed by over 30 organizations and countless survivors and activists, we have published a letter that shares our findings and outlines six urgent calls to action for funders, policymakers, and our community.
Stand with us. Honor their lives. Sign the letter and pledge your commitment to ending violence.
In this year’s Their Light Remains, we honor the precious lives of:
Rajdeep Kaur (32) | CA
Alice Benziger (38), Noah (4), & Neithan (4) | CA
Chandra Maya Poudel-Rimal (33) | OH
Syeda Aalia Nayyar (57), Syeda Fatima (25), & Alizey Fatima (33) | MD
Vipanpal Multani (27) | NY
Jasvir Kaur (29) | NJ
Tika Dhimal (40) | OH
Mamta Kafle Bhatt (28) | VA
Muna Pandey (21) | TX
Sowmya Balasubramanian (31) | OH
Those lost to state-sponsored violence in the U.S. and globally.
And the countless names we don’t and won’t know.
Behind these names are stark realities that reveal dangerous patterns of harm:
Youth Impact: 63% of fatalities were under 35; 16% were children/youth.
Immigrant Women: 42% of lives lost were immigrant women.
Gun Violence: 74% of deaths involved firearms.
Murder-Suicides: 74% of cases involved murder-suicide.
We call on funders, community leaders, researchers, & policymakers to:
Expand mental and physical health services.
Empower youth and prevent violence.
Address gun violence as a public health crisis.
Increase support for immigrant survivors.
Engage men and boys as survivors, allies, and harm-doers.
Invest in cultural and narrative shifts to end violence.
We cannot rely on institutions alone to solve or prevent gender-based violence—it’s on us to take collective responsibility. Our letter offers guidance on learning, standing with survivors, and supporting frontline advocates. Make your commitment to ending violence by reading and signing the letter today.
We invite you to follow our Instagram series from December 10th to December 21st, where we will share portraits and stories of each life and family lost alongside our letter, encouraging community healing and reflection.
51 lives in three years is 51 too many. Together, we honor their memories—and together, we fight for a future where no one is lost to this violence.
Over the next 10 days, we will honor the lives lost by sharing their names, portraits, and stories. Their Light Remains is an affirmation of life, an urgent call to action, and a reminder that our grief and struggles for liberation are deeply interconnected. As you engage with this series, we invite you to be gentle with yourself. Together, we carry the weight of loss, and together, we build a future free of violence. 💜
