In Outcry Over Siege, Two Indias Emerge

Washington Post by Emily Wax | Dec. 9, 2008 (Special Report)

The Poor, Hit Hard in Past, Question New Level of Protest After Attacks on Affluent

The recent siege brought terrorism to the doorstep of India's affluent and struck at the symbols of their prosperity. India's expanding elite, which has felt somewhat insulated from the heat, traffic, sporadic electricity outages and overall commotion in this fast-paced city, suddenly felt vulnerable. Full Story »

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4.7

by Chris Perry - Dec. 10, 2008

It widens our view to include all the victims of terrorism in Mumbai, poor as well as rich, and puts the recent attack in an historical perspective. Like the Titanic, steerage went to the bottom along with first class. A hallmark of a great paper is the ability of show us what we might otherwise not like to see.

Poor people's suffering is often overlooked. It's uncomfortable to see poverty in your own streets, so avoidance is almost reflexive. The blindness carries over into terrorism, flood and other Acts of God, so that we see tragedy only when it involves people similar in station to ourselves. Just ask the citizens of New Orleans.