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Jewish centre not welcome: Shiv Sena

Lyla Bavadam

MUMBAI: The Jewish Chabad centre will not be allowed to continue at its original site at Nariman House, local Shiv Sena shakha pramukh Vijay Surve of the Colaba shakha has told The Hindu.

“Under no condition can they come back here,” he said. The centre was the site of a terror attack on November 26 when nine Jews were taken captive by two terrorists. The ensuing siege by the armed forces lasted almost 40 hours.

“We have absolutely no dushmani [enmity] with Israel or with the Chabad people,” said Mr. Surve. “They had lived here quietly for long. But this attack was targeted at them and this battle between Israelis and Islamic terrorists is life long. Such an attack can easily happen again. No one can guarantee it will not.”

Would there be objections even if the new Chabad centre had high security? “They will secure their building and they might be safe inside, but who will look after us,” said Mr. Surve. “We are all poor people here. Even on the night of the attack it took the police hours to get here. So we have to look after our own security.”

Mr. Surve was sceptical of the possibility of setting up adequate security measures in the narrow gully in which Nariman House is located. The Chabad centre should be given a suitable place where it could have the security it required with open space around the building.

“It should not be in a residential area. If they come back here, there will only be tension.”

The shakha pramukh said this was not a unilateral decision of the Sena. It came from the residents.

Nariman House is currently the property of the Chabad. On December 26, a ceremony involving the lighting of the menorah on the fifth day of the religious festival of Chanukah signified a symbolic reoccupation of the house. Officials of the Chabad said that though the movement would continue to be based in Mumbai, no decision had been taken about where it would be located.

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