Thaindian News

Ottawa, July 14 (IANS) Standing by India in the aftermath of the Mumbai bomb blasts, Canada Wednesday said terrorism is “alive and active” and the international community should come together to root out this evil.

Sending his condolences, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said, “On behalf of all Canadians, Laureen (his wife) and I offer our deep and profound sympathy and condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and injured by these heinous acts of violence, including Canadians who may have loved ones in Mumbai.”

The prime minister said the attacks are “a stark reminder that terrorism is alive and active around the globe and can strike at any time. All countries need to work together and take necessary precautions to combat the scourge who perpetrate these atrocities.”

Harper, who had visited Mumbai in November 2009, said Canada “remains united with the government and people of India in their fight against terror. Our thoughts and prayers are with them in this difficult time. We offer our support as India works to bring to justice those responsible for these cowardly attacks against innocent people.”

Immigration and Citizenship Minister Jason Kenney, who had visited Mumbai after the 2008 attacks that killed 166 people, said, “I can tell you having visited Mumbai shortly after, people were still deeply traumatized.

“So to see this happen again indicates that the enemies of our democratic values will not relent and it reminds us that the fight against terrorism isn’t a passing thing. It is a long-term fight and regrettably, the people of India are on the front lines.”

The immigration minister said, “I am sure that all Canadians are deeply concerned about these attacks, but I suspect there are tens of thousand of Canadian citizens who have relatives or friends in Mumbai and we want them to know that our consular services are certainly alert to the situation.”

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, who just hosted Bollywood’s IIFA awards here, was also shocked by the terror attacks in Mumbai.

“Here in Ontario, we are fortunate to have a community that traces their roots back to India and maintains strong ties with family and friends still there. And on days like this, those ties bring us closer together, through shared grief and resolve to stand up to the forces of hate,” the provincial premier said. The Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) also condemned the terrorist attack on India’s commercial capital.

“We unequivocally condemn the dastardly attack. On behalf of the chamber, I express profound sympathies with the kith and kin of the deceased and wish speedy recovery for those injured in these attacks,” said ICCC president Satish Thakkar.

He said the Indo-Canadian community was with the the people of Mumbai and India in their hour of grief.