Around the temples and color-splashed shops of London’s most Indian suburb, locals are upset but defiant after the Mumbai attacks, insisting they will not be put off visiting their homeland.
The streets of Southall, west London, are a vibrant mash of orange, red and turquoise saris, spicy cooking smells, astrology centers and Bollywood music, but a sense of sobriety has muted the exuberance in recent days.
Some travel agents report a wave of travelers canceling or postponing trips to the subcontinent because they fear for their safety. But community leaders say that, on the whole, people are vowing to carry on as before.
“We’re saying regular prayers for the people who have lost their lives and been injured,” said Didar Singh Randhawa, president of the Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sikh temple, whose golden dome dominates Southall’s skyline.
“Any religious person wouldn’t do that — to maim and kill innocent children, ladies, old and young,” said Sohan Singh Sumra, vice president of the temple, which claims to be the biggest Sikh place of worship outside India.
Gurcharan Singh, who represents a Southall ward on the local council for Britain’s main opposition Conservative Party, said there was a sense of determination that the atrocities would not cause disruption.
“People will get on with their normal lives,” he said. “This is the way to defeat terrorism. If you sit at home, this would be victory on a plate for the terrorists.”
But elsewhere in Southall — which is 54 percent Indian and is a particular center for Hindus and Sikhs — there was more hesitation.
Rakesh Aggarwal, of travel agents Pamzee Airlines Centre, said some people had canceled or postponed their trips to Mumbai after the attacks.
“The people are very much frightened. The day before yesterday, some people booked a holiday for £2,300 (US$3,500). They went home and saw the news and told me immediately: ‘Cancel our trip,’” he said.
Down the road, a group of young men were having lunch and playing pool at the Glassy Junction pub, an English boozer that accepts payment in both pounds and rupees and is decked out with statues, mirrors and maps of Punjab.
Here, views were split about whether the attacks would affect people’s willingness to visit India.
“If I didn’t have family out there, then definitely it would put me off,” said Mandeep, 25, who did not want to give his full name. “I reckon everyone’s at risk now, including Muslims and everyone.”
But Gurpreet Sanghera, 19, dismissed any concerns, saying he had visited the area near one of the hotels affected three years ago.
“I’m going back in the summer, I’ve booked the tickets already. I have no worries, there’s terrorism everywhere so we can’t worry about it,” he said.
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