In an unprecedented gesture, the New York State Legislature observed one minute's silence to pay homage to the victims of Mumbai terrorist attacks before it started its first day's business.
Generally, the opening day has only one-item agenda--State of the State--address by the governor which lays out
the work for the coming year.
But the terrorist attacks to which they could relate had so shocked the members that they decided to start the
business yesterday with homage to the Mumbai victims to show solidarity with the Indian people in the fight against
terrorism.
When Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver introduced Indian Consul-General Prabhu Dayal who was present, the members as also visitors in galleries gave a prolonged standing ovation which, Dayal said, was a demonstration of support to Indian people.
Community leaders said that terror attacks had generated a lot of sympathy among people and, though tragic, had brought the peoples of the two countries closer.
It was first time that an Indian consul-general was honoured by the legislature which then heard address by Governor A Peterson, who is legally blind, painting a grim picture of the State's finance in the face of economic downturn, raising the possibility of painful cut in services and perhaps increase in taxes.
Earlier last month, the New Jersey legislature had adopted a resolution condemning the Mumbai attacks.
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