Blast writer Katy Dycus at the steps of the Vivekananda Memorial.

NAGERCOIL, India — At the southern tip of peninsular India, the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea meet. Rather than facing off at a sharp point, the meeting spot curves around a lush landscape, where slender wooden fishing boats punctuate the multihued sands texturing the shoreline. True sculptural design lies in the way wind and sand mold flexible contours of land and sea. This is India’s Kanyakumari district, the geographical end of the subcontinent. It was also the point that marked a new beginning for me.

Last summer, I spent two months living in south India. Primarily based in Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, I lived among a people who valued their state’s language, Tamil, over the national one, Hindi. I worked with pharmacists in the Dr. Jeyasekharan Hospital for nearly eight weeks. I heard my co-workers speaking Tamil to one another, but the artistic gravity of written Tamil did not take hold of me until one Saturday when I ventured out to Kanyakumari with my friend Gitu, with whom I was staying in Nagercoil. It is one thing to hear a language, and it is an entirely new thing to see it.

Before boarding the boat that would take us out to an island where many make their pilgrammage every year, Gitu and I fitted each other for neon orange life jackets. Mine hung about me loosely, a physical reminder of just how much weight I had lost in the previous 10 days. The severity of my “traveler’s sickness” heralded from a combination of things—new spicy foods, jet lag, lack of sleep and the joyful yet exhausting experience of extreme excitement. But thankfully, I was living with a gastroenterologist who encouraged all of us in the house to openly discuss bowel movements, constipation, diarrhea. Frankly, or maybe ironically, I found this openness quite refreshing. Where else could I speak so honestly about the body?

That morning in Kanyakumari, I let the sultry air whip my hair into a frenzy while the boat rocked against waves tossed by the wind. It felt good to be outdoors. Heck, it felt good to be somewhere other than the bathroom. As the noisy boat carried us off shore to the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, I let anticipation build up inside me. Competing with the sound of the boat’s engine, Gitu explained that the memorial commemorated the life of Swami Vivekananda, a wandering monk who practiced austerity on this island we were entering. My mind instantly conjured up an image of a barefooted man meditating in solitary confinement (cross-legged, of course), humming some dull chant over and over. I began to feel sleepy.

In my two months in India, I had seen, heard, and smelled more bare feet than ever before—enough to make feet my least favorite body part. As I stated before, the body and the way it functions or malfunctions had never presented to me a real occasion for disgust. You would know this if you were to overhear some of the comfortable conversations between the gastroenterologist and I. However, India was giving me a reason to develop a distaste for feet.

Gitu at Thiruvalluvur's feet.

I should have known that at the entrance of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, I would have to remove my sandals, or “Jesus sandals,” as my co-workers called them. This familiar ritual characterized my experience of the Mysore Palace, cathedrals in Chennai, a rustic summer palace outside Nagercoil. In India, shoes, and to a lesser degree, feet, have unclean associations. I’ve noticed Indians on the train making a simple gesture of apology if they accidentally touch someone with their feet. Shoes must be removed for places of worship or commemoration, when visiting people’s homes and sometimes even in some shops and businesses. Even though I learned about these cultural practices before coming to the subcontinent, I approached the removal act with resistance every time. I became hypersensitized to the sweat, dust and grime beneath my toenails.

At first, as I walked around the memorial barefoot, I crept along on my tip-toes. Then, when that becoming tiring, I walked gingerly on the sides of my feet. I probably looked like a lost, lame duck. As long as only a fraction of my feet were touching the ground, I decided, there was a lesser chance of contracting a deadly foot fungus. Was it an irrational fear? Everyone’s feet shuffled along silently and inobtrusively, so why did I build the fear up in my mind to be larger and louder than it was? I felt a momentary pang of guilt for elevating my fears above the virtuous ground upon which this memorial was established. It was in the waters surrounding this island, during the month of December 1892, that Swami Vivekananda swam daily. On this rock he meditated about India’s past, present and future conditions, struggling with thought as his muscles braved the strong seas. It was here that enlightenment came. Gitu pulled me aside for a photograph before I could reach temporary enlightenment.

“Stand over here, Katy. I’ll get the Thiruvalluvar Statue in the background,” said Gitu.

Gitu snapped the photo seconds after I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, useless because of the way the wind blew strands of hair into my mouth and into my line of vision.

Before boarding the next boat, which would take us from the Vivekananda Memorial to the Thiruvalluvar Statue, Gitu and I put our shoes back on. I made a silent apology to my shoes, which now had to wrap themselves around my disgustingly filthy feet. One thing was for sure: in India, people have the misfortune, or, as some would see it, the luxury, of shared experience in their ability to “trod” common ground. As we neared the next island, the Thiruvalluvar Statue grew into eminence until it pierced the sky. Moments later, the boat inched closer, farther from the Vivekananda Rock and closer to Shripada Parai—the statue’s island. It is an island where the remembered life of India’s most celebrated and recited poets shades into the poetic verse he created.

Aphorisms at the entrance to the Thiruvalluvar Statue.

The curly, eloquent script of the Tamil language adorns the walls marking the entrance to the Thiruvalluvar Statue, which stands at 133 feet, denoting the 133 chapters the Tamil poet authored in the “Thirukkural.” On Jan. 1, 2000, the monument was officially erected, bringing in the new year, a new millenium. Gitu told me that part of her school training was memorizing these classic couplets or aphorisms contained in the “Thirukkural.” These words were meant to inspire wisdom in India’s young, hoping that one day they would rise up to be a generation characterized by virtue and not corruption.

The foot of the monument literally depicts Thiruvalluvar’s larger-than-life feet, large enough for visitors to wrap their arms around a toe and still not reach all the way around. The 38-foot -tall pedestal represents the 38 chapters of “Virtue” contained in the “Thirukkural,” where the 95-foot-tall statue atop the pedestal represents “Pleasures” and “Wealth.” The construction itself contains the idea that wealth and love can only be obtained or laid upon a solid foundation of virtue. The idea was novel to me, as one who considers Biblical love and Christ-centered truth to form the foundation upon which virtue can hold any real meaning. The feet of Thiruvalluvar constructs a foundation of virtue then, while the feet of Christ-followers inspires virtue, as “beautiful feet” represent one who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings good tidings, who proclaims salvation (Isaiah 52:7).

Either way, I determined, feet don’t have to be a negative thing. Never before had I made such an honest connection between feet and beauty, or truth, or virtue. Architecturally and conceptually, the Thiruvalluvar Statue offers up ideas to visitors about not only a life, but a way of life. The “virtuous” feet at the base of the statue gave me a reason to reevaluate my fears and misgivings and to put them beside a discussion of faith. Given my disgust of feet and the conspicuousness of feet in India, I was hesitant to consider possible merits. But the Thiruvalluvar Statue demanded just that. It forced me to consider the things that we lay foundationally—to any situation, idea or life. “What foundation am I laying?” I asked myself.

***

Blast writer Katy Dycus at Thiruvalluvur's feet.

Ptolemy, an ancient Greek-Roman citizen and scholar of Egypt, designated the Kanyakumari region as a center for pearl fishery.  After visiting the Vivekananda Memorial and the Thiruvalluvar Statue, the boat returned us to the subcontinent. Gitu and I were weary from our little journey and were hungering for fresh fish and parotta, a layered flatbread. It took me a couple minutes before I realized Gitu wasn’t walking beside me; she had stopped at a small jewelry stand by the roadside, which looked so small compared to the pink Ghandi memorial behind it. I remained where I was, allowing the gentle breeze to ruffle my kurta.

When Gitu finally caught up with me, I barely noticed the tiny pearl necklace she placed in the palm of my hand. It was so delicate.

“You’re spoiling me,” I told her, pretending to return the gift.

“No, I’m not giving you enough,” she remarked, which was just so “Indian” of her.

The rope of pearls glued to my skin with the humidity, and the grimey sand felt like part of the necklace itself. When Gitu clasped the pearls at the back of my neck, it felt stickier still. Maybe this was just one more example of how something so ideally lovely and rare can also feel uncomfortable. Like feet, I thought. Formed in the dark of mollusk shells, pearls glow with an inner radiance. There is nothing radiant about feet, except when feet represent a commitment to virtue, as in Thiruvalluvar’s case, or in mine—to the proclaiming of good news as a result of an inner conviction; one so alive that it glows.

Kanyakumari is a place where one can witness the sun rise from the sea in the morning and set into the sea come evening. The movement produces a brilliance of color at this convergence. The point where three waters meet, where sun meets water, where water meets land, where Swami Vivekananda met peace, where Thiruvalluvar caused love and wealth to meet virtue. It is also the topographical end of a colorful land, a point where land is no more and where feet cannot tread. The place where waves brush up against more waves as far as the eye can see.

The December 1984 Union Carbide chemical spill in Bhopal, India killed 2,259 people immediately and caused lifelong health problems and premature death for tens of thousands more. Pictured: Survivors and their kin march from Bhopal to Delhi in 2006 demanding completion of the cleaning of the factory site to stop toxic chemicals from continuing to poison ground water. (Media credit/Joe Athialy via Flickr)

In the U.S., the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) oversees chemical and other facilities that deal with hazardous materials, making sure various “process safety” routines are followed so as to “prevent or minimize the catastrophic injury or death that could result from an accidental or purposeful release of toxic, reactive, flammable or explosive chemicals.” Also, in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security instituted its own “Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards” (CFATS) that chemical and other hazardous materials facilities must follow or be shut down.

While this system has worked pretty well in the U.S. so far, some worry that a Bhopal-scale tragedy, whether due to an accident or terrorist attack, could still occur on American soil. For one, water treatment and port facilities are exempt from CFATS altogether, so some of the nation’s largest chemical facilities are not subject to as rigorous standards as they could be. A 2009 bill that passed the House of Representatives but failed to make it through the Senate addressed this and other issues. Supporters are optimistic that the bill in one form or another could resurface in future legislative sessions.

Of course, what happens in industrial facilities abroad is up to the host country to regulate. And while standards are higher than they used to be in many developing countries today, runaway economic growth often means oversight and enforcement are lacking if nonexistent, so dangerous facilities still threaten people and the environment in ways that wouldn’t be tolerated in the United States.

Advocates for corporate responsibility say that companies should be held accountable for accidents with their materials, whether they occur on home soil or elsewhere, arguing that a double standard presently exists that is much too lenient on multinational corporations operating in developing countries. Martin Khor, executive director of The South Centre, a Geneva-based research group, reports that this double standard also seems to apply to compensatory pay-outs. Union Carbide’s settlement for the Bhopal disaster, for example, was only $470 million, or a few thousand dollars per affected family.

If nothing else, the Bhopal disaster certainly raised awareness around the world about the dangers of modern chemicals, especially those used or manufactured in close proximity to people. Hopefully at least some local governments in developing countries have taken heed and stepped up efforts to site potentially hazardous industrial facilities away from both human population centers and environmentally sensitive landscapes. But, unfortunately, without stronger regulations and enforcement around the world, it may be only a matter of time before another highly lethal accident occurs.

In a June 2009 cable posted online by Wikileaks, a meeting is detailed between National Security Adviser James Jones and Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony, who stressed the importance of a close military relationship between India and the United States.

The cable shows that both men were acting under the direction of the leaders of both countries.

“Both Jones and Antony affirmed their commitment to building the U.S.-India mil-mil partnership as envisioned by President Obama and Prime Minister Singh,” the cable reads.

India is seen as a strategic ally in Asia, given its proximity to the Middle East.

India also has a vested interest in American success in the war in Afghanistan.

“The Indian military is concerned by the situation in Afghanistan, Antony admitted, and stressed that the international community’s operations there must succeed because the India cannot imagine for a moment a Taliban takeover of its “’extended neighbor,’” the cable reads.

Both sides also worry about Pakistan. Indian officials stressed that they did not make any aggressive military moves toward Pakistan, even after the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

The Indians believe that 43 terrorist camps operate in Pakistan, 22 of which are located in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. They also shared intelligence that even after the Pakistan military raided some camps, they simply set up operations again after the soldiers left.

General Deepak Kapoor, Indian Chief of Army Staff, told the Americans that they worried that American military supplies meant for Pakistan’s forces to control terrorists are actually ending up in the wrong hands, as terrorists are being found to be well supplied and full of ammunition.

“There’s a trust deficit between the U.S. and Pakistan but there’s also one between India and Pakistan,” Kapoor siad.

Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann has been ridiculed for alleging that President Obama’s trip to India, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan is costing $200 million a day or roughly the same cost of waging war in Afghanistan. It has long been the White House’s official policy not to talk about what it costs for a president to travel, but Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Communications, participated in a podcast from the White House to address some other questions about President Obama’s trip to Asia.

Blast asked him to describe the “logistical challenges of the President spending a few days on the other side of the globe” and here’s how he answered:

Well, it’s an interesting question. There’s an extraordinary amount of work that goes into planning and executing any presidential trip. You have the advance teams that go out and look at the different sites that the president will be visiting. You have the embassy or your consulate on the ground that is coordinating those stops. And you, of course, have our staff here at the White House and the State Department working to plan the president’s trip.

That’s the balance we try to strike. A good and successful trip is one that allows us to do a lot of official business, but also to reach out beyond the halls of government to again engage with peoples from different countries.

The response was edited for length.

Katy Perry married Russell Brand this weekend in India, and she gave him a retro classic ride as a wedding gift. Katy gifted her new husband with a vintage red Ford Capri, which was sold by Ford in the U.S. as the Mercury Capri.

The six-day wedding party was at a luxury wilderness resort at a Bengal tiger reserve at Ranthambore National Park, in  northwestern India. The couple , their family and friends, including P. Diddy, have been seeing the sites in a convoy of open-topped Maruti Suzuki Gypsy King SUVS, the Jeep of India and an auto icon in the area.

Hunger is one of the most urgent human rights issues of our time. It affects millions around the world, even in countries that are experiencing extraordinary economic growth during these tough economic times.

We all know of the hunger issues that plague Africa, however, there are states and areas in India where hunger is more widespread and severe than on parts of the African continent.

A few months ago I wrote a few posts about malnutrition in India. Ever since, I’ve been following that news religiously. As an Indian by ancestry, I feel a strong connection to India’s afflicted. I hope this podcast inspires you to do a little research and learn about the issues of hunger in India.

Take a listen.

An 86-year-old Indian governor has resigned after a video tape was broadcast showing him in bed with three women. The office of the governor has called the tape a fabrication even though a woman who worked for the governor came forward to expose him after he refused to fulfill a contract with her.

A rare sex scandal coming out of the nation, though polls have shown that the vast majority of Indian citizens believe their politicians are corrupt. Not surprisingly, because many of them are.

The octogenarian governor, once a federal minister, has not himself commented.

Pretty awesome stuff.

I’m as realistic as any other fair-minded person, especially on the topic of climate change, and unlike some I did not believe Copenhagen would be the backdrop upon which a herculean climate change document would be drafted. Change comes in small steps and since Kyoto failed with a bang, I knew Copenhagen would act as just the first stage in our ultimate goal to reduce emissions worldwide.

I live in Canada so I’m so very disappointed in what our Prime Minister is doing there. In short, he’s done everything by something. And that’s a travesty because we really suck when it comes to climate change. He opted to not deliver an address at the plenary session and has repeatedly suggested that developing countries hammer out a pact to reduce emissions before Canada.

That’s unfair. The developed world went through its industrial revolution with little regard for the environment, as it was not seen as a factor in those days. Now, as countries like India and China revolutionize, developed countries like Canada are demanding that they take action first? While of course those two powerhouses must act to reduce their emissions in some way, they cannot be expected to take the lead or draft a binding agreement now, just as the world is taking notice of their strides and unloading a great deal of respect on their leaders (see: White House Inaugural State Dinner). In the end, climate change is a political game.

Leaders must lead and as leaders of the world the developed nations must draft a BINDING agreement first. Copenhagen produced a non-binding agreement to limit global warming to 3.6 degrees Farenheit. While neither the United States, South Africa, India, Brazil or China, all signatories of the pact, stated how this goal would be acheived, it is a goal set and one that the UN has taken “note” of but not approved. It even includes developing nations.

Of course this non-binding pact is hardly better than a verbal agreement, and is far from “unprecedented” as President Obama stated. However, while it isn’t groundbreaking, it is a start, and Obama was correct in stating that it’s a big deal that major economies (the U.S., India and China) have agreed that climate change needs to be addressed.

Other developing countries have lambasted the deal, which does include a clause to commit $100 billion by 2020 to developing nations affected by global warming. The major downfall of the agreement is its lack of specific pollution reductions, which is one of the main ways to keep temperature rise to a minimum. A 3.6 degree cap on temperature rise won’t be honored if pollution reductions aren’t drafted and agreed upon in a BINDING agreement.

However in that agreement, the United States or some other developed country, will have to take the lead, unlike Harper suggests. And that is step two.

Hey everyone! Happy Diwali! Even if you aren’t Hindu, take a second to light a candle, a diya (a small earthenware candle), or if you’re really ambitious, a firecracker.

Diwali’s roots vary throughout India. As one traverses India’s gorgeous landscape, one can uncover a plethora of different mythological tales to explain Diwali’s origins.

Many see it as a day to celebrate Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, by adorning her alter at the temple with money or pictures of material goods. Some gamble on Diwali too, because, as the legend goes, the goddess Parvati played dice with her husband on Diwali and declared anyone who gambled on the same day would fair extremely well.

The most popular tale

The most widely told Diwali tale goes like this:

Prince Rama was chosen by his father to become the new king of Ayodhya. The Queen Kaikeyi however, though initially ecstatic, is poisoned by her servant and begins to fear for the future of Rama’s brother, Bharata. The servant leads her to beleive Rama will do terrible things to Bharata to keep power in the kingdom. Because Kaikeyi saved her husband’s life earlier, the king promises to comply with her wish that he banish Rama from Ayodhya.

Rama obeys and, along with his wife Sita, descends into the dark, gloomy and ominous forest. While there his‚ wife is kidnapped by the demon Ravan, the ten-armed, ten-headed king from Sri Lanka. Rama, devastated and depressed, sets out on a mission to find his lost wife. When he eventually does, after conquering several emotional and physical obstacles over the course of years, he kills Ravan and retrieves his wife. Rama and Sita then journey back towards Ayodhya.

As the two near their kingdom, it is pitch black out. No moon and, of course, no street lights. Villagers hear of their approach and, to help them find their way, light candles outside their homes so they could safely find their way home.

When the two finally find their way back, with the help of kind villagers, Rama is crowned as king.

And thus began the celebration of Diwali; the festival of lights.

I’m off to celebrate. Happy Diwali!

There’s been a lot of controversy surrounding the children who were featured in “Slumdog Millionaire”, one of the most popular and celebrated films of last year grossing more than $340 million worldwide.

A little while ago, the father of one of those outrageously cute and innocent children was accused of trying to sell his child like some sort of commodity. Slumdog director Danny Boyle was accused of exploiting the already poor kids, which he has strongly denied. It’s been in the news for a while.

To ease some of the tension, the film’s makers set up education funds for the children and donated nearly $800,000 to a Mumbai charity that aids slum-dwelling children in Mumbai, India’s cultural hub.

But many of kids featured in the film, though just a small fraction of India’s immense poverty-stricken landscape, still live the slums.

This morning I was trolling the online news world as has become a routine for me. I usually come across at least one story that really, really interests me and that’s the one I choose to relay on to the faithful readers here at Blast.

So when I was reading BBC news I came across an article about the child actor Azzharuddin Mohammed Ismail, who played the youngest version of Salim in Slumdog, and his family.

His home, located just outside a Mumbai slum, is comprised of just plastic sheets supported by long bamboo sticks. It was torn down recently by the city to make room for a “public garden.” They said his family were squatters and were living there illegally.

“We are homeless, we have nowhere to go” said Azharuddin. He told BBC that he was sleeping when the demolition group, funded by the city, came and ripped his house apart, apparently giving his family no advance notice.

What’s really sad is Azharuddin and his co-star Rubina Ali, who played the youngest Latika in the film, were both apparently promised housing by local housing authorities. However, a decision on whether or not to actually honor their word is still pending.

Azzharuddin’s mother, Shamim Ismail, said that the promises made to her by the housing authorities and the film’s makers had not yet materialized. She also, according to BBC, vocalized a serious doubt that the promises would ever be fulfilled.

This would be a good time for Boyle and the studio to step in and help these two families. The film, in addition to its eight Oscars, made more than $340 million at the box office. Add rentals and purchases to that and the thing is a powerhouse that cost very little to make. And while the contributions that Boyle and the studio have made are formidable and noble, they need to swing more than just $800,000 and some educations funds the kids’ way. It wasn’t their responsibility to help the kids until they were put in front of a camera.

Now it’s very important that they do.

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Hunger and malnutrition are serious issues in African society. Several African nations shamefully boast outrageous starvation and poverty rates, however there are parts of one nation that are in even worse shape. India.

Labelled as a “national shame” by its own prime minister, India’s malnutrition rates are rising during unprecedented economic growth. Perhaps that is the problem, the middle class and rich get richer, while the poor stay poor and in some cases, get even poorer.

Its neighbor, China, is experiencing a similarly remarkable economic advancement. But they’ve used their new money to help reduce malnutrition in several areas, reducing the number of children under the age of five who are suffering from starvation to seven per cent, one of the major forms of measurement of malnutrition.

In India, a shocking 42.5 per cent of children under the age of 5 suffer from malnutrition, a number that reveals a severe governmental failure.

As Somini Sengupta reports in the New York Times, there is no easy explanation for this problem. There are several contributing factors though: a disconnect between a large democratic government and the people who need it most, a lack of money being spent on children’s nutrition programs, and an overall negligent attitude towards health programs.

The Times reports that while India runs the largest child feeding program in the world, the program is severely flawed. India’s soup kitchens set up in low-income neighbourhoods help, but do not provide the nutrition necessary for pregnant women and children under two.

To its credit, India does ensure all children are immunized for preventable disease, however, malnutrition can make one more susceptible to diseases that could be prevented by nutrition. Malnutrition can also hinder development and growth for life, preventing Indian children from reaching their full intellectual and physical potentials.

India has a lot to do to fix its hunger problem, and it won’t happen soon. The first thing would be to make health a top priority among government again. The prime minister calls the situation a‚ ”national shame.” He can begin to reverse the trend, if only he could make his government operate like a democracy that acts on its words.

A train chugging through eastern India derailed early Saturday, killing 15 people and injuring 161, the BBC reports.

The Cormandel Express‚ was‚ traveling‚ from Calcutta to Chennai, when 12 to 16 cars separated from the train‚ just as it left Jaipur Road station.‚ Forty have been hospitalized with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

Authorities are currently investigating possible causes for the sudden derailment.

“We do not know what caused the accident as yet,”‚ said JP Mishra, a senior spokesperson for East Coast Railway. Rescue and medical teams were rushed to the site. Since the accident took place in the dark, they used an emergency light and the help of hundreds of local citizens to aid rescue efforts.

Railway accidents like these are pretty common in India. A lot of them are blamed on poor maintenance, since the country does have one of the world’s largest and oldest railway systems (transporting more than 18 million people per day) and its workers are often sub-par and hired for little money.

Poor maintenance was probably the problem here, a spot of track that was poorly maintained, officials say, could have caused the train to flop over as it did.

The commonality of these accidents is represented by the fact that the news is no where to be found on the front page of the Times of India’s website.

MUMBAI, India — In a newly crafted display window, tucked in the back corner of the lobby of the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, was a piece of art, aptly named the “Tree of Life.” The work, beside a plaque listing the names of those who had perished in the Taj, was all that remained visible of the day that terrorists had stormed the lobby, and held hostage its guests and staff. In front of the window, hotel guests lined up to sign their named in a book, writing things like, “The spirit of the Taj is uncrushable,” and, “terrorism will not prevail.”

These sorts of comments have come to engender the spirit of the Indian population. As a nation, India has endured nearly one terror attack every month since last July, and lost over 2000 people to these attacks in the past year, but in the face of terror, the country has always bounced back immediately. Though the Indian media jumped at the chance to compare they day they dubbed “26/11″ to 9/11, the societal reactions haven’t compared.

When I made my first visit to New York, two months after the assault on the twin towers, the city was still in deep mourning, wreaths, candles, and photos of missing loved ones plastering every corner of the metropolis. When I eventually moved there three years later, the photos of missing people had vanished, but little else had changed. After seven years, New York City is still having trouble moving on. Every September 11th the city fills the skyline with two perpetual spotlights in place of the towers. Bagpipe players mourn for the dead in the streets of the Financial District, as throughout the day all the names of those who were lost when the towers crumbled are read aloud. As we come into 2009 the site of the twin towers is still nothing more than a gigantic hole in the ground, an open wound that refuses to allow New York City to move on. The Financial District is still a comparative ghost town.

The Taj a month later/KRISTEN V. BROWN FOR BLAST MAGAZINE

One month to the day after gunmen entered the Taj Mahal Hotel on November 26, the lobby of the hotel looked once again as it always had. In the hours of the attacks, the perfectly polished marble floors were stained with blood, the stately atmosphere muffled by screams and sprays of bullets. But by December 26, the hotel that had once played host to Mick Jagger, Jackie Kennedy and The Beatles had regained its regal composure, the lobby decorated for Christmas as it buzzed with equal mixes of tourists and the well to-do. Easily the most majestic landmark of the Mumbai skyline, the Taj is an architectural marvel that has played host to many of the worlds most powerful since it first opened its doors in 1903, founded by industrialist Jamshedji Tata, as the first luxury hotel in the city that booked Indian as well as white guests.

The day after the firing stopped, Indian papers and news stations reported of an eerie ghost town Mumbai had become. But by that time , everyone was already back at work. And only one month after the attack on Mumbai, life had once again become de rigueur, at least partially because for Indians, unlike Americans and 9/11, terrorism is the norm. In New York, we obsessed over the events of 9/11 for years, letting our obsession dominate our public space, and keep us from resuming our normal lives. In India, even though the Mumbai attacks were thus far unprecedented and surely have had a lasting impact on the people of Mumbai, Mumbaikers have learned not to let terrorism get the best of them. They pull together, go back to work, and refuse to let such evil misdeeds interfere with their way of living.

Pakistan has canceled all military leave and increased troop numbers in regions bordering Jammu and Punjab in northwest India, the Times of India reports.

A little further south, in the area bordering Ganganagar, India, Pakistan has reportedly begun renovating old bunkers, as well as constructing new ones. ‚ 

Pakistan’s troops are, in some places, as close as six miles from the border. ‚ According to the Geneva Convention, no country can deploy troops within 1.8 miles of the border unless war is‚ officially‚ declared.

In response, India has moved some of its troops closer to the border. ‚ India’s Border Security Forces (BSF) have provided the government with intelligence, specifically the number of troops being deployed by Pakistan and the types of weapons they are carrying. ‚ This way, they would be prepared if, let’s hope not, anything goes down.

India has also begun telling its citizens that it is unsafe for them to be in Pakistan, the Times of India reports. ‚ They’ve also asked the U.S., China and Iran to put some pressure on Pakistan to act against those involved in the Mumbai terror attacks.

It seems that it’s getting worse there by the minute. ‚ Moving troops within miles of war is bad enough, but India actually telling its citizens they are unsafe in another country is an official sign that something will go down soon if Pakistan doesn’t buckle down and cooperate. ‚ 

Other countries may not officially say it, but they are all thinking it. ‚ Pakistan needs to actually help the‚ investigation, not just say they will. ‚ If they don’t things could get worse, and no one wants to see these two countries go at it. ‚ Trust me.

Pakistani media is reporting that the country’s military is now on “high alert” over a possible attack by neighbour India, Al Jazeera reports.

The announcement came Monday after Indian officials handed over a letter by the last surviving terrorist from November’s Mumbai tragedy that killed nearly 170 people.

The letter confirmed accusations that all 10 terrorists hailed from Pakistan, India’s Foreign ministry reports.

The navy, air force and army are all on “red alert.”

Obviously, I don’t think attacking Pakistan is the answer. ‚ These two countries have enough problems, starting a string of attacks between the two isn’t going to solve anything.

Then again, the people of India are demanding some sort of action be taken in response to these attacks, especially now since it has been confirmed that all attackers were from Pakistan.

Indian officials have said that they will “explore all options” to ensure Pakistan cracks down on these kinds of cross-border attacks. ‚ They also called for more international pressure to be put on Pakistan, in an effort to make them co-operate in investigations.

I agree with that, there’s a lot more Pakistan can do. ‚ They’ve‚ arrested‚ some people but refuse to really do anything with them. ‚ Extraditing them to India makes sense to me, but not for them, since the arrested are citizens of Pakistan and many of them have no direct connection to the attacks.

No matter what happens, tensions are increasing between these two rivals, and will continue to increase until something groundbreaking happens.

Top Indian news agencies, quoting police sources, are reporting that the standoff with attackers at the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai has ended.

Since Wednesday, 150 people have been killed in the violence that began with well-coordinated attacks at 10 sites across India’s financial capital.

Fifteen non-Indians have also been killed, including two New York-area Rabbis.

Stick with Blast Magazine News for more information.

As attacks on India’s financial and entertainment capital persist, military personnel are fighting to secure the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, according to the International Herald Tribune.

Shortly before night in Mumbai, police told news media they were trying to secure and capture one terrorist left inside the Taj, who was constantly moving between two floors.‚  IHT reports police told media that two terrorists had been killed overnight in the Taj.‚  Commandos continued operations as the city darkened.

On the first day of attacks, a freelance journalist by the name of Samuel Gill posted a comment on Blast’s “Terror in India” article.‚  He did not answer his phone this afternoon, however, answered an email asking him for an update on the situation in Mumbai.

Gill said that the official death toll at the Trident/Oberoi is 30. He also confirmed that Indian security forces were engaged in gunfights as of at least 11:54 a.m. EST (10:24 p.m. IST), the time of the email.‚  He also told Blast that grenade blasts continue in higher volume than is being reported.

Gill also said that the Chabad House (known as Nariman House in India), a five-story center for Hasidic Jews in Mumbai, was the center of some scrutiny regarding the handling of the crisis there. “A Rabbi and his wife, along with three more had been shot by terrorists before army commandos killed [the] terrorists,” he said.‚  “Now NSG [National Security Guard] has handed over this building to Mumbai police.”

Police say, according to IHT, 93 foreigners were rescued from the Trident/Oberoi on Friday.‚  Later, police found 24 dead bodies in the hotel.

The attacks have increased tensions between India and its neighbor and longtime rival Pakistan, at a time when both countries have been advocating for closer relationships and a joint terrorism combat force.‚  Indian authorities have blamed “elements with links to Pakistan” for the attacks.

Stick with Blast for ongoing analysis.

Gunmen open fired at a number of locations across Mumbai Thursday morning, killing more than 100 people, injuring more than 300 and taking several hostages from luxury hotels usually inhabited by foreigners, according to CNN.

While India has frequently blamed terrorist attacks on Islamic militants and extremists in Pakistan, this attack comes at a time during which Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has been advocating closer relations with India; he even suggested a joint terrorism combat force.

Some analysts believe Zardari’s advocacy to become closer allies with India contributed to the attacks.‚  Some even believe it caused the attacks.‚  Many Islamic militant groups would see such a partnership as befriending a sworn enemy, one with whom they have a long history of tension and disagreement.

The terror attacks differ in many ways from attacks that are usually reported.‚  Rather than use suicide bombers of place bombs at several sites, the attackers actually open fired on innocent bystanders and took hostages.

The attackers openly engaged with civilians and armed Indian forces, clearly on some sort of meticulously organized mission.‚  The attackers had command centers set up at two hotels in India’s financial and entertainment capital.

While an organization has taken responsibility for the attack (the Deccan Mujahideen, though doubts about their existence still linger, some believe the name may be a front for another organization), Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has repeatedly stressed the attack was carried out by militants based outside India with an eye for targeting foreigners in Mumbai’s streets, as well as in the prestigious Trident/Oberoi Hotel and the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel.

Singh stressed the need for stronger measures on terrorism and has vowed to track down the perpetrators at all costs.

The attacks are getting very much attention in the West, more than usual for something that took place thousands of miles away.‚  The reason being that it seems the targets of the attacks were largely westerners, which would mean tensions between Pakistan and India cannot be blamed.

Whatever the reason for the attacks, they must still be condemned.‚  Pakistan is however urging India not to jump to conclusions.

Indian officials say they have captured nine suspects and killed six others.

Stick with Blast for ongoing analysis.

As part of the breaking news coverage of the sudden attacks that took place today in Mumbai, India, Blast has received webcasts from the South Asian Journalists Association who covered these events via live blog talk radio.

Suketu Mehta, author of “Maximum City: Bombay Lost & Found,” Madhu Bhatia Jha, US correspondent for the Indian network Star News and Smriti Mundhra, a NYC-based filmmaker calling from Mumbai and is five blocks from attacks, are sharing their acounts from the attacks which began at 1 a.m., time of India.

Mundhra also explained that, “Its total chaos over here. Army and navy have been called in to assist police. The attackers are everywhere-in hotels, on the streets, in vans. They are firing indiscriminately.”

Blast will continue covering these events.

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At least 80 people have been killed, 250 injured and more held hostage in Mumbai, India, in coordinated terror attacks, according to news agencies.

The attackers, armed with machine guns, bombs and grenades struck at least seven sites throughout Mumbai Wednesday and were holding Western hostages at two hotels, according to NBC news.

“We have reports of 80 people dead and at least 250 injured. Many have serious injuries and the toll will go up,” P.D. Ghadge, a police officer in the main control room in Mumbai, told Reuters.

The locations included luxury hotels, a police station and a train station.

Indian television reported that one of the victims is Hemant Karkare, the chief of India’s anti-terrorist squad in Mumbai.

Authorities are saying that Westerners, especially British and American civilians, have been targeted.

Blast will bring more details forth as they emerge.