UAE | General
Indian expats in UAE fear more strikes in Mumbai
Resignation, more than questions, set in among Indian expatriates in the UAE one day after seven bombs ripped through Mumbai's trains during rush hour, killing and wounding hundreds of people.
- By Nina Muslim, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 July 12, 2006
Dubai: Resignation, more than questions, set in among Indian expatriates in the UAE one day after seven bombs ripped through Mumbai's trains during rush hour, killing and wounding hundreds of people.
Most feel resigned that Mumbai will remain the target of bomb blasts and terrorist attacks due to its prominence as India's financial capital, even as they thank God that none of their family members were badly affected.
The capital city of Maharashtra state has had six major bombings since 1993, the last one being the August 25, 2003 twin blasts that killed 46 people.
Ashwin Suvarma, whose brother was injured in the attack, told Gulf News that terrorists were using Mumbai's prominence to make a statement.
"It's one of the leading cities in India and that is why [the bombers] are targeting it," he said.
"People are scared to travel on the trains today but they have no choice."
He added that his brother, who was injured when he jumped off the train to escape the bombing, initially suffered from shock.
"My brother couldn't speak last night ? he was not in a good state of mind because he saw so many dead bodies," he said, adding that his brother has recovered.
S. Sreekumar, whose in-laws live in Mumbai, also said that Mumbai was being targeted for its importance.
"It happened for a very simple reason. It is the most crowded place and trains are the lifeline of the city. Mumbai is always targeted," he said.
He added that the bombings have made him fear for his and his family's safety as they were going back to Mumbai next month.
A few could not help wondering why the blasts occurred, however, at a time when India was at peace and communal tensions were minimal.
Richard Rego, an assistant manager at Magrudy's Bookstore, said the bombings were unexpected.
"It's a totally different attack from before. The previous bombings were due to communal unrest between the Hindus and Muslims," he said.
"It is a cruel thing to happen. They are targeting normal people returning from work."
He said although he was no longer living in Mumbai, the attack resonated with him as one of the affected trains was a train he and his friends used to take daily from work.
Some are also taking a defiant stance in the bombing aftermath, refusing to be cowed by the bombers.
Deepak VB, president of the Maharashtra Mandal Dubai Society, told Gulf News that he was not going to give the "terrorists" the satisfaction of a reaction. The group is a cultural organisation for people from the Mahrashtra state.
"The attacks won't work because we will not give in to terror," he said.
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