APOCALYPSE NOW
December 1, 2008Lead:A week of unrest globally from Mumbai to Bangkok has made students at the University of Westminster think twice about visiting global hotspots.
By Sunil Kumar
Students and staff at the University of Westminster were shaken but largely indifferent after a week of global unrest as militants attacked the Taj Mahal hotel and other landmarks in Mumbai and Bangkok Airport was taken over by local militia leaving thousands of passengers stranded.
As nearly 200 people died in India’s commercial capital and Bangkok was under siege for the sixth day, people from all over the world expressed their shock and anger on the week that was.
Bokyung Park, 29, Seoul, S. Korea, never really considered going to either Mumbai or Bangkok. Now she thinks going to either place extremely risky.
TERRORIST VIOLENCE
People from all over the world were shaken by terrorist violence in Mumbai and the unrest in Bangkok.
Kam Gill, 20, a British Asian from London has close relatives in India. His relatives had an extremely difficult holiday.
“It was difficult to make calls and get through with mobile phones. But this has not really affected my travel plans,” Gill says.
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Adriana Mendez, 25, Mexico, was planning to go to India during Easter however Tony Lee, 48, London is indifferent. Mumbai and Bangkok were never on his radar.
Other students expressed interest in travelling to India and were not really affected by the attacks in Mumbai and Bangkok.
TRICKLE-DOWN EFFECT
Chinami Miyasaka, 22, Nagano, Japan, feels that there are serious issues to be tackled. But she adds that what happened in Mumbai can happen anywhere in the world. She is still planning to visit Mumbai.
Javier from Barcelona, Spain, says, “ I plan to visit India professionally as a journalist rather than a tourist. I was in the Madrid tube when terrorists attacked. What happened in India can happen anywhere in the world. I think India in general will be more safe and there will be increased security.”
Andrew Otto, 34, Colorado, USA, says, “I really planned to visit Bombay some time and the Taj Mahal hotel. It seemed to be a beautiful place. I don’t know why Americans and British were specifically targeted. Probably a lot of people out there don’t like us.”
MUMBAI’s 9/11
A few girls were really put off by the terrorist attacks in Mumbai.
Alexandra Murphy, 22, Essex, says, “I don’t want to visit not right now, maybe I will visit Bangkok or Mumbai in 20 years.”
Chinaka Iwunze, 23, an International Journalism student from Lagos, Nigeria, has a more considered opinion to offer. However she tells me that she never ever planned to visit either country.
“Issues need to be reexamined and nobody knows what will happen next. One thought that European countries were largely targeted by terrorists. India however is closer to home and I have a lot of friends from India,” she adds.
SPORTING FINALE
The terrorist attacks have also disrupted the ongoing India-England cricket series.
Stuart More, 29, from Milton Keynes, England adds that the Mumbai attacks have unnecessarily complicated things.“England is coming back. Human life is anyday more important than sport. I think they should have cancelled the one-day series. But the Test series should definitely go on.”
It can happen anywhere. No place seems safe.We need to stand together and fight back.
A University of Westminster Lecturer could be thick in a Ugandan Internet community, a significant number of whose members are thinking of Genocide and ethnic cleansing in their country.
[...] December 11, 2008 by sunilkumar21 Terror in Mumbai and civil strife in Bangkok make the world unsafe for international travellers. Link to Main Article- Apocalypse Now [...]