Bombings in Jaipur

Nick-H

What they are usually trying to achieve is setting communities against one-another, so that the people destroy each other.

Recently this tactic has not been successful here: let us hope it isn't this time.

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larsomat

This is just horrible.

Nick-H: exactly that was my first thought.
Retaliation after retaliation. We've seen what it leads to in Israel. It's a deadly circle.

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York_Katni

"It's quite scary to travel over India sometimes but hopefully situation will be back to normal tomorrow or the day after." quoted a few lines earlier

All I can say is that we live in a very small world and this problem is global. India is not a banana republic and does have problems. The problem in my view is not about normalcy, the problem is about lives. It is time not to be selfish and think whether our holiday will be affected or not but for the many innocents who died who might have never harmed even a fly. Similarly it may not be possible for the state to monitor the activty of every single individual who carries a malevolent intention. The best response for a tourist is to boldly go ahead with the holiday and show solidarity with the innocent dead.

India is Muslim, India is Christian, India is Jew, India is Buddha, India is Gandhi, India is Hindu and nothing can tear India appart even if they try and that has been the beauty of this country.
Terror can strike anywhere and India is not immune to it. I hope you'll appreciate that and there is a lot of pain in all of our hearts.

Nick-H

In fact, apparently, India is among the top countries in the world for deaths by terrorism .

machadinha

Just saw it on the news here. I hope none of our members are affected, and am thinking of the people who are of course.

Jaisalmer is nowhere near to Jaipur no. I can't immediately think of any known resident members from there, but there are bound to be some. It's a very popular tourist destination of course, with Agra and Delhi it forms the so-called Golden Triangle.

With regards to travel plans, it must be remembered terrorist attacks have happened in India for a long time. You'd need to be statistically very unlucky, that's about all one can say. Tourists are rarely directly targeted, although it sounds like that was the intention here (including domestic tourists, never forget). Or perhaps the target was just that it's a very busy big city center, with lots of visitors and a crowded temple on a Tuesday, according to reports. These attacks are rarely claimed, so the truth may never out.

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bigjed

I was in Varanasi a month after the bombings in 2006. We visited all the sites of the bombings as part of the tour booked at the train station. We felt very safe - the place was crawling with military, our hotel had armed guards etc - the army will be all over Jaipur and other centres as a result of this, they will be on high alert for many months.

larsomat

I'm sure, the victims felt safe as well before the bombs went off. That's the cruel nature of terror attacks when they happen in places like this...

Not that I propose not to feel safe. The statistics are always on your side in doing so: the probability of a deadly car accident for example is still much higher than being the victim of a terror attack.

bigjed

the bombers take advantage of lax security.

any increase in security makes it safer. Sites in Varanasi are still well protected two years later.

bigjed

especially on Indian roads...

Joibanglaforevu

I appreciate that an member from India has put it correctly, we (I) shouldn't feel upset if our holiday is ruined
I understand this, but it's very difficult not to be upset, worried, disappointed... it's because we (and I) love India so much, that this makes hearts sad. It will be hard to appreciate the beauty of a country and it's people the same there is a very dark feeling now, just very sad in general, and upset by the pictures of all this gore the news is showing.

Let me ask something. I will be going to India soon, to Bombay first, at the end of this month. I expect what everyone's saying in the media and on here is there will be army everywhere? If the state is on high alert, is it or the country going to be closed to foreigners?

I don't want to cancel anything, and I'm not going there just to "have fun" and sad that it's ruined if it is. Going there, for many of us, is so near and dear to the heart, it's not just any vacation for anyone.
I will not be near Jaipur, but if there is collections or anything for the victims I'll be moved to contribute what I can.

Shiver me Timbers

Indeed, have a look at this.....

Chronology of major incidents

Yet to be updated with today's events.....

Lou Wilson

Statistically very unlucky as Machadinha states is the key. India is a huge place and for you to worry about getting blown up is a waste of time. And true they whoever they are do not target westerners. The only place I recall where the terrorist targeted tourist was in Egypt a couple or three decades ago. I spent alot of time in Sri Lanka where they have been blowing themselves up for 25 years. Use you head but you can't worry about it.
Here is the street in Jaipur where some of the bombs went off. (also look for movie link) All shot March 2008
http://www.indiamike.com/photopost/s...1/ppuser/15002

kristinm

One of them was inside a temple!???!!! The first in a restaurant.. unbelievable, and meanwhile people in Burma die because of their Government - what kind of world are we living in!?

Shiver me Timbers

Tourists have been targeted in Egypt fairly regularly, with recent attacks in Dahab and Sharm el Sheik. Some Turkish resorts have been attacked, such as Kusadasi. Tourist kidnappings/murders have also been on the rise in North Africa (Algeria/Mauritania/Tunisia) recently, and of course, don't forget Bali, where tourists were also targeted with devastating effect. I generally agree about India being statistically quite safe though.....

machadinha

Again, tragic though it is, this is not such a rare event. I don't think it will hamper any travel plans of yours no.

Mumbai is also far away, I doubt you'll notice anything there, or not because of this particular event anyway. Remember that Jaipur itself for that matter has a population of around 3.5 million. That is not to discount the tragic victims now of course.

The first time I went to India it had just been hit by a major earthquake, it was all over the international news and going by those reports the entire country had just been obliterated (a fun prospect for a young man out on his big adventure abroad indeed). Asking about it upon landing, no one really knew what I was on about. "Oh!... You mean that event last month in a far-away place? Yes, I think I read something about it in the papers..."

India is just a very big place, with many many people, all dealing with their own daily worries. Kind of like anywhere else I guess. And again, I am by no means belittling this attack or its victims. But from a tourist perspective, the chances are just really slim. It's more that it's all over the western news media now I think; sadly, there are many more such attacks that never even make the international news. I wonder if Jaipur hadn't been such a major tourist spot (it's very much low season there now btw) it would have received as much international coverage, or rung as sharply with the western public. Hyderabad and Ajmer saw such attacks over the last year, it was reported on in my country alright, but just didn't get as much attention. Because those city names mean less to people, I guess, and then the news just moves on by nature.

So anyway the truth is this happens quite often, but you're still unlikely to run into it. And again tourists are not normally the target (they have been in Kashmir on a few occasions though, by way of kidnappings, a few of them resulting in death or disappearances), it's more like a cinema or bus or train or mall or temple or marketplace or so will be blown up, causing the locals to suffer. Remember with a population of well over 1 billion and lord knows how many visitors, you'd need to be very unlucky indeed. On the other hand, it would be naive to go out there assuming this event is exceptional. It sadly isn't.