Nearly five hundred people held a candlelight vigil on Wednesday Thursday December 4th outside the Boston City Hall for the victims of the terrorist attacks on Mumbai two  weeks ago which killed more than 170 people.

Ramesh Advani, Asian American Commisoner, along with City Councilor Sam Yoon helped organize the vigil, which included addresses by Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Vito Nicastro of the Archdiocese of Boston, Rabbi Shmuel Posner of the Chabad House of Greater Boston, Imam Dr. Talal Eid of the Islamic Institute of Boston, Siri Karam Singh Khalsa of Guru Ramdas Ashram – Millis, Anjur Gupta of Soka Gakki International USA and Sanjay Saxena of the Satsang Center of Woburn, in which each one talked about the need to overcome religious hatred. Kumkum Dilwali opened the event by singing the American National Anthem. “I see the light of the candle as not one to mourn the dead but as the light of life,” said Yoon.  

Vigils were also held simultaneously in Worcester, MA and Providence, RI.  In Providence some of the prominent personalities attending the vigil included Sharad Bhatia, Governor Carcieri, and Rev. Liliana Da Valle of the American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island, who said India’s greatest legacy was the message of peace offered by Mahatma Gandhi.

The event was sponsored by the Massachusetts Asian American Commission, India Society of Worcester, Network of South Asian Professionals, India Association of Greater Boston, Indian American Forum for Political Education and Indian Medical Association of New England and supported by more than 30 local organizations.

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