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India’s Terror Reverberates In Queens
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Congressman Joseph Crowley, along with members of the Jackson Heights Merchants Association, denounced the attacks in Mumbai.
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By Joseph Orovic
Residents of Jackson Heights’ Little India awoke Thanksgiving Day to dismaying news. Terrorists had struck Mumbai, the financial capital of their home nation. Now as the puzzle of the three-day attack is being assembled, many are looking for a way to help.
News broadcasters provided constant visuals of explosions and bloodshed. Graphics of cell phone text messages were shown ad nauseum. Stories of heroism and survival became the norm.
The terrorists hit nearly a dozen targets, and the total number of dead last floated around 150 people.
“Our heart is full of grief and shock,” the former President of the Jackson Heights Merchant Association Shiv Daas said at a candle lighting ceremony held in the Delhi Palace on 74th Street.
It took three days to subdue and kill the final terrorist, and in the aftermath various elected officials expressed outrage and solidarity with the people of India and their relatives in Queens.
“This horrific event serves as a wake up call to the global community,” said U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights).
The Congressman also spoke of his past visits to Mumbai, which he called “one of my favorite cities.”
Pointing to the Taj Mahal, various Hindu gods and Jesus Christ depicted on Delhi Palace’s walls, Crowley said, “The world’s three largest religions meet in India. This is a nation of tolerance and peace.”
For Dr. Uma Mysorekar, it all hit too close to home. The president of the Hindu Temple Society of North America trained in Cama Hospital, which was among the terrorists’ first targets.
“There are always questions because of the Kashmir problem, but we couldn’t predict this,” she said.
Now Mysorekar said many members of Queens, Indian or not, are looking to help. But no major nonprofit has come forward to accept donations.
“I’m totally at a loss,” she said. “The 150 people that died left behind families and children. Maybe they think they don’t need the help.”
In response to such concerns, the Consulate General of India asked that all donations be directed to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
“The Indian government is not seeking outside help,” said a spokesperson from the Consulate’s office.
In the meantime, prayer vigils will be held around the borough. The Ganesh Temple in Flushing and Queensborough Community College will both hold vigils on Thursday, Dec. 4.
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