Instant Message from Mumbai
In my past life as an international executive, I've visited Mumbai, or what used to be called Bombay, India. If memory serves correct, I stayed at the Oberoi Hotel at Naraman Point. That is where I had dysentery for several days, despite wise advice on how to avoid it and my best efforts to watch what I ate. The Oberoi is one of the international hotels that was taken over by terrorists as America started its long Thanksgiving weekend.
But something terrible has happened. In the past few days terrorists occupied its walls, shooting guests.
One of my other favorite hotels for business was the Marriott in Jakarta, Indonesia. Unfortunately, the ground floor restaurant of that building was blown up by terrorists a few years ago.
The world has become more dangerous for global business travelers.
I had an instant messaging conversation with a franchise leader in India. I don't want to name him since I know he would rather be associated with business. Let's just call him Arjun. Here is our conversation via instant messaging on the second day of destruction by terrorists of facilities in Nariman Point, Mumbai:
[Don] "I've been watching the news about Mumbai. Terrible news."
[Arjun] "The blasts were just 300 meters from where I stay. I witnessed all the action.”
[Don] “Were you and your family in a safe area the whole time?”
[Arjun] “We were told to stay away from the balcony so, we watched behind closed windows and curtains.”
[Don] “My television screen is still showing live scenes of gunshot fire from outside your window.”
[Arjun] “I saw people with their arms and legs apart, firefighters getting crushed under the debris.”
[Don] “NDTV [via CNN here in the U.S.] says 40 terrorist involved, 29 Pakistani, 11 Bangladeshi.”
[Arjun] “People mourning, soldiers with their sophisticated weaponry unable to do do much.”
[Don] “There's a lot of intolerance in the world.”
[Don] “I guess that extends to our own politics too. In a parliamentary system, people like Margaret Thatcher or Indira Gandhi can more easily become PM because the ruling party(ies) decide behind closed doors who will be their leader. [They aren't popularly elected.] But electing a Muslim Prime Minister or an ethnically Chinese president for India would be a very hard thing, wouldn't it?
[Arjun] “Secularism is in the roots of India. Our current Prime Minister is Sikh [in contrast to India's majority religion, Hinduism].”
[Arjun] "Dr. Abdul Kalam, our ex president is Islamic."
[Don] "I stand corrected."
[Arjun] “Life will never be the same for me, after the blasts.”
[Don] “Your country may have to be like us. Isn't it in India's own self interest to calm down the crazies outside its borders?”
[Arjun] “No. We cannot police South Asia, we as a country have a lot more important things to do, like building our economy, investing in R & D, sending men to Mars, (after moon). We are going to be on Mars by 2011 as per ISRO [India's version of NASA]”
