Commemoration of King's India Pilgrimage: Wednesday 18 February

[Clayborne Carson]

Along with the King and Congressional delegation, I departed in the morning for Mumbai, where we check in to the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, the famed, historic hotel as well as the site of the deadly terrorist attack last 26 November. After a short shopping expedition and a briefing by the Consul general Paul Folmsbee and experts on his staff, we met with victims and representatives of victims of the attack. Several hotel workers offered moving testimony of their heroic actions to save the lives of guests. After lunch with businessmen at the Indian merchants chamber, we learned about the work of the NGO Vatsalya, an organization devoted to providing shelter and hope for Mumbai's slum children. The children themselves told us about migrating to Mumbai in search of opportunity and explained how they had come to a more positive view of their future as a result of involvement in Vatsalya and its spiritually-based educational program. While some delegation members attended a repeat of the "Living Dream" concert at the National Center for the Performing Arts, I chose to get some rest by having a quiet, solitary dinner at Kybur Restaurant.