India Deals with Terrorism from the World, Not Just Pakistani

After watching the news, and taking in all the possible outcomes, I realized the Indian Government has dealt with groups from within it’s own borders as well as those from the neighbouring countries. There are so many factions, so many outlets for frustration and desperation, it makes me wonder if the Indian government is, perhaps, more busy than most of us realize, including our own government leaders.

One example is present in Canada, of all places. There is a Sikh faction here, active and connected world-wide that has been connected to the Air India bombing. They often have “glorified” the ” martyrs” in parades here, much to the consternation of our own civic, provincial and federal governments. Actually,  make that two factions, both working and funding a drive for an independent Sikh country or area, I am not sure what they plan for. What I do know is that the leader of one of these was about to be charged with the deaths of several people and fled to India. He was shot by the Indian police. The co-leader is still here, and from all I can gather, the group is very militant, trying to organize the younger members of the community to join in. Sound familiar? It should, after all, this is what the Indian government seemed to be dealing with this week.

What I do know is that the local Sikh community have some practices that I have real trouble with. If a family wants to build a home here, they will NOT hire anyone other than Indo-Canadian workers, suppliers, and often use their own community to supply the money, going outside the commercial banks and lenders. The practice of hiring based on their religion or ethnicity, here, is called discrimination, period. I have been living long enough here to see other practices that are, otherwise, breaking laws. No hard hats, no protective footwear, no security or tethers for anyone working on the roofing, high walls, and there is often few journeyman level workers on site.

The Sikh community behaves much like the Jewish community did in Europe before world war 2, keeping within their own enclave, buying from their own stores, working within the Sikh-owned businesses, and running their own schools. This is not objectionable to me at all, but when it comes to raising funds for groups within that are named internationally as known terrorist organizations, then I do have trouble with that!

When the news mentioned the possibility of foreign gunmen, I thought for a moment, then realized it would be entirely possible for a Canadian to become part of the same type of amoral event. The last few years here, there have been increasing incidents of violence involving Indo-Canadians, most of them younger, and using guns. I am NOT saying these people are directly involved in terrorism, but the attitude of using violence, particularly guns, and the general dismissal of the value of human life is worrying. Add in the known membership in the organizations designated as terrorist based and it becomes unsettling.

I do not want any person, no matter what ethnicity or race to use my country for fund raising, organization and especially recruiting to be allowed to continue. I do not want or need anyone from Canada to make the lives in India, Pakistan, Europe, or anywhere else “collateral damage”. I have no time for anyone who wants to use airplanes, guns, or anything else to kill people from any place on this earth.

There is a temple here that is known to be a gathering place for the Sikh movements, and I have to speak out against any member of that temple who want to abuse their own country to kill someone in India or anywhere else.

If you have a problem with India, talk, not shoot. If you want to have a “homeland” then negotiate, not shoot or bomb. If you want to recruit, raise funds etc. to enable the deaths of anyone else, then realize something. You are not welcome to do it here.

Yes, I know you are connected internationally with your organizations, and I also know you are quite willing to send money overseas to other countries too. It is about time you understand that your activities are NOT the Canadian way.

Members of the International Sikh Youth Federation have worn shirts proclaiming their goal of having a Sikh “homeland” or country, Khalistan. If you want that, then negotiate, not shoot. Recuiting should go elselwhere because the information I have is that you want to have this end gained by violent means.

Parmar and Reyat were not peaceful men, they put bombs on a plane and in an air terminal and caused the deaths of 329 people. It was Khalistan separatists that planned this and carried it out. Parmar is not a martyr, legallly, he was a murderer and terrorist who was shot in India.

Talwinder Parmar was the founder of the Babbar Khalsa, internationally recognized as a terrorist organization.

I know the Indo-Canadian community has some very fine people, and I also know there are some within the community that have not understood that old grievances, old grudges, are to be left behind when you become a member of another country. I don’t want to see my country become a breeding ground for trouble for anyone else.

Unfortunately the Indo-Canadian community is often put under the ugly black cloud that these few have created, and this leads to suspicion, mistrust and a general attitude of uncertainty among the people living as the neighbours in Canada. What is also tragic is that a lot of very good, very decent people in the Indo-Canadian community are faced with dealing with the suspicions and mistrust.

Yes, I know this is partly cultural, but regardless, it is time the Indo-Canadian and general Canadian community start to talk about this, expose it, and get these people to either stop or face some pretty strong questions.

Mumbai Death and Disaster Totals Rise

Another Canadian has been confirmed dead in Mumbai, which makes two families here grieve along with the staff at a Montreal medical center. There are other families who lost family relations there, and they are grieving too.

The loss of life is often seen with road accidents, murders, and natural causes, but when there is a huge sense of hopelessness attached to deaths by gunmen in a foreign country the questions of “why them? why Canadians when the gunmen were looking for British and American citizens? who would do this?” all seem to ring louder.

The Doctor from Montreal was originally from Great Britain, but lived and worked here to heal, to help, to make other lives just a bit better. The same goes for the Jewish family all killed in the Chabad. When people who chose to make our lives better are killed, it takes more from all of us than just a name or personality, it takes a tiny bit of the goodness and humanity too.

There are hundreds of people who worked in the two hotels, the train station, the Chabad area, and in the restaurant that worked with skill and grace, making lives just that much better too. There are some of the people in the hotels, the Chabad, and the train station that performed well beyond their ordinary roles in life, blocking bullets, taking others out of harm then being shot themselves, and making the situation just a bit more tolerable during the very long waits.

I hope the hotels, the employers of all these marvelous people remember this. Maybe we can send funds to help out families who now have the breadwinners gone, maybe we can just think of them as more than just numbers in a death tally.

The political blame game is about to start in ernest, and with all that grandstanding, maybe we all should make a point of reminding those who want to make political points that those points just may come from deaths. Phooey, I have no tolerance for anyone trying to make political hay from disasterous situations when those points are based on the deaths of people who went well beyond any expectations of humanity and service.

The international terrorist blame game is started, too. Some desperately want to make even the most tenuous connections to groups like Al Quaida, etc. Get a grip! Just because someone is Muslim and is from that area does NOT mean they are even remotely connected with Al Quaida! Yes, the gunmen were cold, calculating, definitely capable of making some gruesome choices, but this means that there is more to this story. This action to me is far more than some petty political statement, far more than just a gruesome joy ride, but there is an underlying reason why these gunmen did this, something that motivated them very strongly, otherwise they would have given over after 12 hours, maybe less. THAT is what international specialists need to find out, the motivation that kept these gunmen going, and as of this hour, still going. It must be something very powerful!

The Pakistani Government is trying to work with the Indian Government, so this time, let them. Work this out without all the petty political crap. Unless there is some kind of communication, some kind of working together to find out WHY this happened, we all lose. We lose lives, we lose trust, we lose international friends, we learn hopeless and a sense of powerlessness.

Governments and people who have a sense of hopelessness, powerlessness, and inferiority often are the very ones who go to war, make far more misery for everyone. This is the time to stop that path and make a bridge, an international bridge!

Mumbai in Chaos, Canadian and 17 others escape!

There is a woman, a Canadian, who is now safe (hopefully it will stay that way) along with 17 others who fled from the restaurant in the Trident Oberoi Hotel, just as the gunmen opened fire.

Way to go Mauela T.! I am not going to fully disclose her name right now, because she had to leave her purse, phone, and likely her identification behind as she and many others fled, with the gunmen following, shooting. Manuela and others did have rooms at the Taj, so she cannot even go to her rooms. The Taj Mahal Palace, at this time, still is under siege with hostages reported to be there, along with at least 2 gunmen.

The Trident is also facing a huge armed force as the army and other forces try to get the hostages there out.

But, back to those who had their wits about them and ran. Well done! Manuela is supposed to fly home today, on a flight just after noon today, Mumbai time. Why am I posting this? Her family may just find this blogging and be relieved to know she is well, alive, and safe for now. Talk about guts! She called out to a news service and sounded calm, collected, and definitely tired, but very composed too.

For those with her, my own wishes for your safety are flowing right now. Hang in there!

Manuela, when you get home, you have at least one person who is so very proud of you!

There are some foreigners who have been killed, by accounts, and I wish to send my condolences to those families.

Australians want out, now!

BBC coverage as of 4 PM Pacific Time with video clips Taj and Oberoi

Late update, there are 7 British Citizens injured, some hostages still understood to be held, and over 100 people killed, including one woman who was a manager at one of the hotels with relatives living close to where I live.

Consternation is evident from the way this all happened because this is a massive attack. There appears to be at least 20 young men, aged between 18 and 20 who were the ones who used guns, grenades, and some very proficient planning to carry this out. Experts have speculated on almost every possible gang, terrorist organization, etc., but with no real knowledge yet, there is no complete understanding of who this particular organization is, or if they are backed.

What is known is that the ones who entered the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel were speaking a language that was not understood by people there, so that does rule out some of the most commonly known languages such as Hindi, Punjabi, English, German, French and a few others, as well as local dialects.

For now, Mumbai is basically in a state of shock and schools, colleges and business is being put off until there is some semblance of stability.

Until all the people who had rooms booked in the hotels are accounted for, and those who were killed and injured identified, the total devastation will not be clear.

India is one country that has had a complicated history, a complicated society, and several factions who try for power. Leaders in that country have been assassinated, deposed and threatened, as well as various groups, such as the Sikh community, trying to create a separate state for each of them.

I hope peace will return to Mumbai, India, and those families who are worried. I send my thoughts to those, like my neighbours here, my thoughts as they grieve.

Update:

This is the Manuela above, I could not reveal any information until I heard she is safe.

Manuela Testolini, the ex-wife of the musician Prince, was in Mumbai for business and said she was eating dinner at the Trident-Oberoi Hotel when she heard gunshots.

Good news amid chaos is always welcome!