Update (7/20/11): The Coordinator in Jaipur has just said the following:
"The bombing in Mumbai is a serious situation and as a result major cities in India are on high alert. However, our programs are mainly in rural areas and smaller cities. Due to the size of India, all of our camps are more than 600kms from Mumbai.
We do not have any programs operating in any of the major cities although of course participants do arrive into Delhi and Mumbai for some programs. If that is the case, they are there no longer than one or two nights and we monitor the news carefully. If advice from the authorities indicate avoiding particular areas at any time then the necessary amendments will be made to our plans and the participants advised.
Though there are no guarantees in any country when it comes to acts of terrorism, the risk to our participants in the areas where they are staying is limited."
On Monday afternoon, multiple explosions detonated minutes apart in the typically busy Opera House, Dadar, and Zaveri sections of Mumbai, India, causing 13 deaths and wounding many others. The city is currently "under high alert" and the cause of this violence is currently unknown. Kolkata and New Delhi, other major Indian cities, have also been put on alert.
AmeriSpan has gotten in touch with our Volunteer program coordinator in Jaipur, India, who had the following to report:
“The horrible terrorist attacks on innocent civilians in Mumbai are a painful reminder of the times that we live in today, marked by growing intolerance. While we unequivocally condemn these cowardly acts, we would also like to assure all visitors intending to come to India that being a large country, there is no impact of these events in Mumbai on the day to day lives of people in the rest of the country. The program base for the India program is Jaipur which is located about 1200 kilometers from Mumbai. And while our hearts go out to those innocent people hurt, they do not impact the resolve or weaken the spirits of the common person of India. For the visitors, we hope that they will not alter their plans to visit and learn about our country and culture and spread the message of tolerance and understanding, the lack of which has brought such unmindful actions upon us.”
We recommend flying into New Delhi if possible for any students or volunteers attending an upcoming Hindi program in Jaipur. Please contact our office with any questions or concerns.
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