The Indian community abroad on Thursday reacted with ‘shock’ and ‘disbelief’ to the audacious terror strike in Mumbai
NEW YORK/ LONDON: The Indian community abroad on Thursday reacted with ‘shock’ and ‘disbelief’ to the audacious terror strike in Mumbai, voicing concern that it will hit the country economically and demanding strong measures by the government to combat terrorism. Indian diaspora members were glued to their TV sets as the terrible events unfolded overnight. Many of them, with relatives and friends in Mumbai, were making frantic calls and checking on the internet for latest information.
As a large number of foreigners and overseas Indians remained stuck in Mumbai, with many believed trapped inside the luxury hotels that were taken over by terrorists, the External Affairs Ministry opened a control room in New Delhi to answer queries from abroad.
The Indian High Commission in London opened a 24-hour helpline while the Indian consulate in Dubai set up a hotline to assist relatives and friends of those in Mumbai.
Strongly condemning the ‘heartless acts’ of terrorism, the US-based Indian National Overseas Congress (INOC) called on the government to deal firmly with terrorists, their sponsors and financiers.
Expressing shock over the attacks, Chairman of American Indians for Democracy, Sant Singh Chatwal, said they were apparently aimed at frightening foreign investors from going to India in general and the commercial capital in particular. Calling for strong measures, he said it is time for the international community to put its act together to fight terrorism as it could happen anywhere.
Demanding that the perpetrators be brought to justice at the earliest, the leaders appealed to the Indians to stay united and foil the ‘evil designs’ of terrorists whose main aim, they said, is to fan the flames of ‘discord and hatred’.
In Britain, religious groups, leading politicians and people of Indian origin condemned the attacks. “India continues to sacrifice innocent lives to religious terrorists often supported by Islamic groups in Pakistan,” Ramesh Kallidai, the secretary general of the Hindu Forum of Britain, said.
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