Depok Choopra on Mayhem in Mambai

I received an email tonight from Rahul, our Tour operator in India. He was graciously letting us off the hook if we choose not to come to India now if our travel plans included Mumbai. But, our plans do not include Mumbai and, at this time, we don't plan to cancel. If there is more unrest in other parts of the country over the next month...well that is a different story. I would like to share bits of an interview of Deepok Chopa with Larry King. You can read the entire interview on www.cnn.com -

The situation is complex because it could inflame to proportions that we cannot even imagine. It has to be contained. We now recognize that this is a global problem, with only a global effort can solve this…..And you know, one of the things that I think is happening is that these militant terrorist groups are actually terrified that [President-elect Barack] Obama's gestures to the rest of the Muslim world may actually overturn the tables on them by alienating them from the rest of the Muslim world, so they're reacting to this…….And the world has to be very careful that they don't go after the wrong people. Because if you go after the wrong people, you convert moderates into extremists. It happens every time, and retribution against innocent people just because they have the same religion actually aggravates and perpetuates the problem……..Get rid of the phrase "war on terrorism." Ask for a creative solution in which we all participate………..It is because the war on terrorism really can never be won., because it's an oxymoron. It's an oxymoron - a war on war, a war on terrorism…….You know, terrorists call mechanized death from 35,000 feet above sea level with a press of a button also terror. We don't call it that, because our soldiers are wearing uniforms. They don't see what is happening, and innocent people are being killed. So, you know, terror is a term that you apply to the other…….This is a global problem

As always, Depok is a very enlightening man.