The unprecedented riots in London affected several Oriyas as well who were among those stranded in various parts of the city. A few of them share their nightmare with The Telegraph:
Debasish Kar, Business Analyst
On Monday evening I was at home, working on my laptop, when my phone rang at 6.15. I saw my wife’s picture flashing on my cellphone.
She was at the gym, which is a stone’s throw from my house.
Thinking that it must be the usual reminder to keep a watch on our three-year-old daughter, I smiled to myself. But the voice from the other end was filled with panic.
“The rioters are here. We are inside the gym. I want to be home, I want to be safe,” she was stammering and I felt the blood drain out of my face. I asked her not to panic and that I would reach her in minutes but she was not listening.
“Keep a watch on Khushi (our daughter). You must not leave her at home or bring her here. The gym instructor has locked us from inside. I am going to be fine. The police are on their way,” she said, her voice slightly calm now.
I went into the other room and found our daughter watching a cartoon show. I took her in my arms and prayed for my wife’s safety.
I have been staying in London for the last four years but nothing of this sort had happened before.
The riots started over the last weekend on the outskirts of London and I had never imagined it would spread to Ilford. I tuned into a news channel and waited anxiously for my wife’s call.
My phone rang.
“The police are here. They are clearing the area. I would be home soon,” she said.
She reached home after almost an hour, still in shock.
Tension prevailed in the nearby areas for some more time after troublemakers looted a cellphone store and torched a warehouse. Another shop at Croydon, which has been in business for five generations and stores souvenirs from the World Wars, was also gutted. It pained us a lot.
We have informed our family members and relatives back home in Bhubaneswar that we are fine. My wife is still recovering from Monday evening’s terror and has stopped going to the gym now. The police have advised us not to venture outside after dusk and have issued certain precautions. I really hope that we won’t have to go through such tough times ever again.
Debasish stays with his wife and three-year-old daughter at Ilford, Greater London
Dillip Das, Software Professional
My family (wife and two-year-old son) is safe. My parents and relatives in Cuttack were very worried when they learnt about the riots. They are calling up every day to know about our status. I take a train to work and return home before it gets dark. The Britishers are nice to us. Everything is normal during the day but as a precaution, we have stopped moving out from the house during evening hours.
Dillip stays with his wife and two-year-old son on the outskirts of London
Mita Mohapatra, Homemaker
In India, we are used to bomb blasts and riots but something like this taking place in the UK is very uncommon. We are shocked. But thankfully, the impact is not being felt here. The general perception of police being efficient has changed slightly in the wake of the riots. The image of the police has certainly taken a beating. To say that Asians are being targeted would be a gross misrepresentation of facts. There is nothing of the kind, though we have been flooded with calls from India about our safety and security. This is all but natural. But I am slightly worried about one of my friends, whom I have not been able to contact since the riots broke out. Hope she is safe.
Mita stays with her husband and two-year-old son in Sheffield
Srinivas Patnaik, Senior executive in a travel agency
My wife and two siblings are in India and would be coming back on August 20. Hopefully, normalcy would be restored by then. The people here are very gentle and have never targeted us. But we are being cautious.
Srinivas stays in London
Tofan Sahoo, Software Engineer
We have not been targeted but it is better to be on guard. If you want to avoid trouble, it is best to skip going to pubs in the evenings. Walking alone in the evening can also invite danger. If you go out in a four-wheeler, you are safe. The police have been deployed everywhere to help people
Tofan stays with his wife and four-year-old daughter in Glasgow
