Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi broadly denounced terrorism at the United Nations on Friday but avoided any direct mention of one of the world's most perilous standoffs: Pakistan's recent warning that India's crackdown in the disputed region of Kashmir risks a war.
Modi told world leaders gathered at the annual UN General Assembly that India's "voice against terrorism ... rings with seriousness and outrage."
On Friday at the UN Modi didn't mention Kashmir but touched on terrorism: "We belong to a country that has given the world, not war, but Buddha's message of peace."
He added: "And that is the reason why, our voice against terrorism, to alert the world about this evil, rings with seriousness and the outrage."
As Modi and Khan prepared to speak at the UN, residents of Indian-occupied Kashmir expressed hope that their speeches would turn world attention to an unprecedented lockdown in the region.
"We really hope these leaders will do something to rid us of conflict and suppression," said Nazir Ahmed, a schoolteacher on the outskirts of Srinagar, the main city in Indian-held Kashmir. "Conflict is like a cancer hitting every aspect of life. And Kashmiris have been living inside this cancer for decades now."
As the General Assembly meeting unfolded Friday, large dueling protests supporting and opposing India's action in occupied Kashmir were taking place across the street from UN headquarters.
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