ABU DHABI // More than 800 people gathered last night with prominent members of the Indian expatriate community to show their solidarity in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks. The Indian ambassador to the UAE, Talmiz Ahmad, had called the meeting of condolence at the Indian Social and Cultural Centre. Anil Pakale, the president of the Maharashtra Mandal organisation, said: "This is the greatest moment of despair for us. I was born near the CST railway station at the hospital where the dead were brought. It was painful to see my childhood memories transformed.
"We should look forward to better innovative solutions than getting into arguments, because we can't change history but we can take care of the future." Mohan Jashanmal, the regional manager of the Jashanamal National Company, said: "It's very thoughtful of the Indian ambassador to call this meeting that shows the feelings of Indians all around the world. We are one, and anything which is contrary to non-violence is not accepted by anyone in the Indian community."
Close to 200 people are known to have died in a series of co-ordinated attacks on Mumbai landmarks last week. sbhattacharya@thenational.ae
