Peace march by Indian Community in San Diego

By siliconindia   |   Tuesday, 26 July 2011, 17:44 IST
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Peace march by Indian Community in San Diego
Fremont: A peace march was organized by the Indian community on 23 July 2011 at balboa Park, San Diego as a protest against the terror attacks in Mumbai, the commercial capital of India. The Mumbaikars witnessed a bloody day on 13 July 2011 after the serial bomb blast that took the lives of 20 innocent leaving several others in a deplorable state. About 120 people from all walks of life marched in solidarity with the victims and their families. The event began with a candle light vigil, followed by a peace prayer and chanting of mantras from the Vedas, which seeks to bestow eternal peace throughout the universe. The speakers focused the fact that the world's oldest democracy (United States of America) and the largest democracy (India) share values like pluralism, tolerance, understanding and face common challenges such as terrorism. The peace march stressed the notion that we must have tolerance for all faiths and beliefs - an ideal that is under pressure from the attacks by fundamentalists, who wish to create divisions within the social fabric that unites us all as global citizens. Organizers highlighted the fact that fighting the perpetrators and their ideologies without resorting to any reactive violence towards specific communities is the only way to effectively deal with the situation. Since the terrorist groups seek to destabilize the social balance, responding firmly but peacefully without giving in to their agenda is the best course of action at this point. The event had people whose family members were amongst those seriously injured from the terrorist attack on the thirteenth of July. The peace march started at the Reuben H Fleet Science Center, proceeding its way across the Prado Crossing, the House of Hospitality, and the Timken Museum of Art, and finally returned to the Science Center via the Botanical gardens. The participants marched with flags of USA and India and placards, banners that emphasized the community's sense of solidarity with the people of Mumbai and denounced terrorism and the states that propagate terrorism. At last a petition was made expressing solidarity with the victims and their families. They urged a quick action be taken and enhanced cooperation between India and the U.S. in the war on terror and provide justice to all. The petition was signed by all attendees and will be submitted to the Consulate General of India in San Francisco