Puducherry's French community condemns France terror attacks

PUDUCHERRY: The French community in the Union territory woke up on Saturday to shocking news of brutal attacks by terrorists at various places in Paris and suburbs in which more than 100 people were killed and 200 injured.
Panic spread across the small French community of 5,000 members in the territory as news broke about the terror attacks and the declaration of Emergency by the French Government.They made frantic calls to relatives settled in France to inquire about their whereabouts and safety. There are roughly 20,000 people from Puducherry, who are settled in France.
The first thing Puducherry-born French citizen Roman Leonard, who settled in Puducherry after serving 37 years in military in France, did on Saturday morning was to check the safety of his daughter, a public relations officer working for a private firm in Paris.
“We woke up to the tragic news. I was concerned about the safety of my daughter until we heard from her that she was safe. She was with her friends in a restaurant in 9th district when the terrorists attacked 10th and 11th districts. She left for home a little early. A couple of her friends, however, were stranded there after security forces cordoned the region,” Leonard said. The French community here comprises mostly India-born French nationals and thousands of them are settled in France. It is yet to be ascertained whether the Indian-born French citizens were among the victims of the terrorists’ attacks. The French community, which condemned the terror attacks, has decided to gather at the war memorial on the beach road at 4.30pm on November 15 to express their solidarity with France in its fight against terrorism.
Puducherry-born French citizen Bertin Labernady, who came to the Union territory on a 20-day vacation leaving his wife and children behind in Paris, said he was shattered to learn about the brutal attack on innocent people in a peace-loving country. “The terrorists attacked areas that are just five minutes’ walk from the school located in 9th district where my wife works. She is safe now,” said Labernady, who works in a printing press at Paris. “My wife was walking back home when terrorists attacked the neighbouring districts. People have been instructed not to venture out for 24 hours,” he said, scheduled to get back next Thursday.
Talking to TOI on Whatsapp, Puducherry-born French citizen Baste Mourty, now in France, said he was in the neighbouring district (9th) when the terrorists attacked 10th and 11th districts in Paris. “I was in a concert hall when the attacks took place in the neighbouring districts. Where I live is a quiet neighbourhood. I left the city around 1am. Enroute, I saw several police and medical emergency vehicles with sirens whizzing past. I realised something was wrong,” said Mourty, who was later shocked to hear about news of the attack. “Now a state of emergency has been declared. This is the third time in the post-world war era,” he said.
Former vice-president of Alliance Française de Pondichéry, Soundron Prosper regretted that intelligence agencies failed to avert terror attacks of this magnitude. “It is one of the very rare intelligence failure. It is a sad moment. My condolences to people, who lost their near and dear ones in the attacks. I was told a few people are held as hostages in certain pockets. I pray for those who lost their lives,” he said.