India is the #2 terrorist target country in the world. #1 is Iraq.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indias_terror_death_toll_second_only_to_Iraq/articleshow/2312796.cms
As I've already let most of you know, I'm fine.
The bombs were detonated in "the softest of soft targets:" a popular Chaat (snack) shop that re-opened only a month ago, and a park in which a number of people were watching a sound and light show.
We still don't know who planned these attacks, or why.
Immediately after the bombings, peace rallies broke out all over the city. Shops closed on Monday in observance of those killed Saturday. Driving by the bombed park, I saw a group of people carrying flags and protesting the violence. The local newspaper is calling for an overhaul of intelligence and counter-intelligence. Some blame the current Andhra Pradesh ruling party.
The other night, an ASCI student asked me what I liked about India. His response was better than mine, which cited the Indian friendly, relaxed, and engaging attitude towards life. He hit the target I was looking for more squarely - India is a very diverse country, he said. There are many different types of people living here, with different religious beliefs and different practices. Yet everyone gets along.
Sound familiar? But here, "tolerance" is somehow more intimate and more personal. People seem optimistic about one another, and they engage each other closely.
I'd like to think that the optimism can survive, no matter who tries to destroy it.
2 comments:
Wow; I'm very glad you're okay! I wonder if the tolerance has to do with religion, with living close to friends and family if that is the case, with precedent, or what. It's strange how subtle differences can be really important sometimes.
People used to say that Trinidad was a very integrated society during my childhood - I dismissed that cynically as a load of crap. But after coming to America...I value what exists back in Trinidad a lot more. Along those lines, India sounds like a very interesting place. I'm hoping that you can do some deep thinking when you're not busy on the streets and share your thoughts later. As for your closing statement, am I sensing a paraphrasing of that famous quote from the Shawshank Redemption? =P
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