Below is a great reflection from Cara. Thanks and good stuff Cars.

Keeping vigil for slain Indian student

CARA MUNRO JANUARY 06, 2010

They came to stop the violence. Four, maybe five of them, in dark hooded jackets and pale, worn jeans. Hovering uncertainly in the car park. Shadow-like. Haunted.

Wrongly, we assumed they had come to join us. It was 9.30pm, and we were gathered outside the place to which he had come, bleeding, begging for help. We had initiated this gathering: ‘Bring a flower. Bring a candle. Spread the word. Spread the word.’ And so with short notice we had gathered. With short notice, the word had spread.

Now, these newcomers. It was ‘the media’, angling for a statement, that had alerted them: ‘How do you feel about the protests planned for outside Hungry Jack’s tonight?’ Not wishing for violence to answer violence, the small group of Indian students, who introduced themselves as the housemates and friends of Nitin Garg, had come to stop us.

Greg was the first to respond, with a pastor’s face, wise to the inadequacy of words at times like these. Then Xingi, or was it Soph, with long stalks of white roses. Candles.

On the mutual ground of the restaurant car park we explained that we were simply people from the community. Christians, many of us. Concerned. Compelled. Our desire, like theirs, was for the violence to end. We asked them to join us.

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