Foreigners leave Delhi after bomb blasts
by Sutirtha Sanyal

     New Delhi: Foreign tourists who generally live as backpackers in the numerous hotels in Paharganj near the New Delhi Railway station are a shocked lot in the aftermath of the deadly bomb blast that killed around 30 people in the busy market area. Many of them, who come to India as tourists live as backpackers on a shoe string budget in the numerous hotels that dot the area. The hotels and restaurants also cater for the varied taste and liking of the visitors, with many dishing out speciality fares for their foreign guests. But, the blast has completely shattered them, emotionally, and left a deep impact on their psyche.

    To the foreigners, India personifies things oriental - is the land of peace, mysticism, holy saints, and things very exotic, something their occidental and far eastern or middle eastern cultures cannot provide. Many come here to experience bliss and happiness, and look forward to experiencing first hand, Indian festivals like Dusshera and Diwali. Traditionally, the markets of Paharaganj, Sarojini Nagar, Chandni Chowk and other areas across the city are chock-a-block with people buying decorations, clothes and lights during the festive season, and it was no different this time round. The terrorists also, for creating maximum damage, exploded bombs in Paharganj and Sarojini Nagar and another in a DTC bus in Govindpuri in South Delhi and planted one at Chandni Chowk, which was ultimately defused by the Bomb Disposal Squad. But the ones that ripped apart the busy markets certainly left their mark on the people and dampened their spirits to the extent that many foreign tourists are contemplating leaving Delhi and India without celebrating Diwali.

     Rudy Stein, a German tourist who came to India, a month back and celebrated the Durga Puja in Kolkata and had stopped by at Delhi enroute to Haridwar, is now thinking of cutting short his visit and returning back to Berlin at the earliest. "I was strolling in the Connaught Place area at the time of the blast. It was a bad sight. I will not go to Haridwar anymore. I am disturbed. I am going back to Germany at the earliest. What happened was very bad. This is celebration time and people were in such a joyous mood, and suddenly there was blood everywhere. It was a horrible sight," said Rudy. Hotel owners also say that many of their foreign tourists have vacated their rooms and are moving out. Those that haven't, are being put in separate rooms. Overall there is a sense of panic among them and they are not thinking of venturing out into the open anymore. "Some foreigners left just after the blast. Some who didn't have been shifted to other rooms at the back side. The front side is fully damaged. All the AC units have conked off and windows blown apart in the blast. Fortunately none of the tourists lodged at the front side were in their hotel room at the time of the blast. Generally people go out during the evenings," said Jatin, Manager, Lord Krishna Hotel, Paharganj.

     Some tourists, though while putting up a brave front, have nevertheless promised to not venture out into the open for the next few days. "I was outside the hotel at the time of the blast. In fact I saw the blast from a very close distance. I heard a deafening sound, which was followed by a lot of dust and debris flying into the air. My boyfriend was inside the hotel. I ran inside, saw everything was all right. We came to Delhi today only. Was in India for the last one month, and now, we are going back to UK on Tuesday, said Scaroline. "I was sleeping inside the hotel when I was awakened by the blast. Our room is at the backside of the hotel, thankfully. I immediately ran out, saw what had happened. We had thought of celebrating Diwali here. I was told it was a wonderful festival. Now we are going back to UK on Tuesday, and we are not venturing out into the open for the next two-three days," said Richard, Scaroline's boyfriend. Many like Rudy, Scaroline and Richard were eagerly looking forward to experiencing Diwali, something they had never seen in their entire life, in Berlin and London, and the bomb blast only made sure that their India sojourn ended on a sour note.
-Oct 29, 2005