Indian Catholic – New Delhi,India, July 28,2006
Vasha Berry from the India chapter of "Focus of the Global South" said the "call to wear white is in memory of the people who lost their lives in last year's flood, (so) it is also a symbol of peace."
MUMBAI, India (UCAN) — Thousands of people have observed the first anniversary of floods that killed hundreds in this city in western India.
Those marking the anniversary also pledged to work for peace and security in the wake of bombings that shook the city on July 11.
On July 25, 2005, Mumbai was deluged by 94 centimeters of rain, the highest one-day rainfall meteorological offices ever recorded in India, media reports say. The water rose nearly two meters in places, leaving thousands homeless and destroying property. The floods claimed about 1,000 lives and about 50 people remain missing. Mumbai is 1,410 kilometers southwest of New Delhi.
All that death and destruction in 2005 was remembered with silent prayers, lighted candles, songs and pledges in industrial houses, offices and schools.
Peace Mumbai, a network of volunteer groups, organized a memorial observance at the city's famed Gate Way of India, but had to move the ceremony to other venues due to security concerns following the recent explosions on city trains that killed 200 people and injured hundreds of others. The terror attack two weeks before the scheduled anniversary commemoration of the floods prompted volunteers to make "Mumbai in White" the theme of their gathering.
