
The terrorist attacks took place throughout Mumbai.
Op-Ed Editor/Managing Editor
Coordinated groups of gunmen armed with grenades and automatic weapons held Mumbai under siege yesterday, killing and wounding scores of people.
Humber students with relatives in India reacted with fear, anger and immediate concern for their loved ones.
“I’m just absolutely stunned and horrified by the entire thing,” said final year journalism student Chelsea Sandanha, who is from Mumbai. “I feel very helpless. There’s nothing I can do.”
The crisis was ongoing at press time, with the gunmen seeking out foreigners with British or American passports, according to CNN.
Attacks were carried out at high-profile sites throughout the city, including luxury hotels, popular tourist destinations, and a hospital. Blasts occurred at the Taj Mahal and the Oberoi hotels.
According to the Associated Press, the terrorist group Deccan Mujahideen claimed responsibility through emails to several media outlets, but a BBC correspondent did not rule out the possibility that other groups were involved.
CNN reported the gunmen, who appeared to be aged between 20 to 25, had taken hostages at multiple locations throughout the city.
“It makes me really mad,” said Sunny Verma, 20, a first-year nursing student with an aunt and uncle in Mumbai. “I just want to go down there and make sure everyone’s ok.”
Saldanha went to university in the area the attacks took place. One of the targets was a popular place she used to go while in university.
She said her mother works and brother goes to school in the area.
“My mom is fine. I haven’t heard from my brother yet.”
For Herman Singh, 20, an international student from Ludhiana, India, thoughts were with his mother, father, brother and sister living there. His hometown is an over ten-hour drive from Mumbai, but he expressed apprehension for the ripple effect such an attack will have on the entire country.
“There’s going to be a little bit of fear in my mind because it’s going to affect Mumbai and the Punjab – it’s going to affect all of India.”
Computer management student Amit Chhabra is from Chandigarh in northern India, but said he had many friends living in Mumbai. He called and e-mailed them when he heard about the attacks.
“They are safe but some of their friends got hurt,” he said.
Priyesh Patel, 18, a business student at Guelph-Humber, feared for his family in India – who live far from Mumbai – but admitted he’s growing jaded to terrorist news.
“We’re used to hearing about it,” he said. “Before, about two years ago, it was rare. But now it’s really picking up.”

