Welcoming another year

Fort Cochin
By the beginning of the New Year in Fort Cochin, we had :

- Four hotels attacked by a mob in Fort Cochin
- Seven cars broken (those I counted on the Calvathy road)
- Foreign tourists abused (as I heard one drunk shouting to a tourist, "Go back Go back , Bloody bastard George Bush!") (What did the poor Dutch tourist and his daughter had to do with Saddam or George Bush for that matter!)
- Musicians scared away ( they were on their way to a fusion music concert)
- Business loss for many ( tourists left many restaurants fearing another attack!)
- Business gain for some (those tourists who ran ended up in the shacks on the beach!)

When asked "Who do you think these people were?", various answers came from the property owners


- Rioters! (Drunk and having fun!)
- Muslims (Emotional response to Saddams' hanging on the Eid. (Though most of the faces I saw were regulars in leftist rallies, and some of them were coming out of the reading room of a local political party office! It is quite sad to see these sort of branding)
- Business rivals ("You buy we Cook eateries" who were trying to take business away from established hotels on Calvathy road!)
- Dissidents from the Cochin carnival organising committee!

Basically when the bell struck at 12, I was wandering looking for a taxi to go home!
(What a wonderful way to celebrate the new year!)

When I found some vehicles drivers were not willing to take an "unknown" male passenger unless I have a reference of an "attached hotel" they work with! Am sure I didn't look like a "tough guy!". It's really unfortunate to be reminded of the insecurity in which this society lives!

One can't blame these drivers considering the number of murders and criminal activities that are increasing in Kerala these days.


© GP 2007