Shocked and stunned, Pune shuns Valentine’s Day

By IANS
Sunday, February 14, 2010

PUNE - The FM stations in Pune were playing love songs interspersed with the police chief’s message “do not panic”. As the city was still reeling under the shock of the bloodying bomb blast that killed nine people here Saturday, couples and youth said no to Valentine’s Day.

Abhishek Sawant, a student of Pune’s famous Fergusson College, said: “People come in to my city and create such a tragedy. How can one think of even any celebration post 24 hours? I will definitely not be in any kind of mood to celebrate, and anyways, if you feel that there is someone for you, there is no need to celebrate especially on Valentine’s Day.”

Shruti Kadu, software professional, feels that with such a panic situation in the city It would be foolhardy to even think of celebrating love.

“Agreed that Valentine’s Day is about spreading the message of love, but with such kind of incident, it is making people wary of heading out of their homes,” she said.

Many events planned in the city’s hotels have been cancelled.

Sandeep Dharma said: “These events are supposed to be fun filled romantic evenings. But with this blast, people are scared. And with an high alert announced, and as well as on moral grounds, it is necessary to show serious and matured reactions. This certainly is not the time for celebrations but to express our courage and unity as Indians.”

German Bakery in the city’s Koregaon Park area was rocked by a blast Saturday evening that killed nine people, including two foreigners, and injured nearly 60 people.

The eatery was a popular joint frequented by the young and foreign nationals.

Filed under: Terrorism

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