Jalandhar, August 11
Those with their near and dear ones in the UK heaved a sigh of relief with the situation in the country limping to normal today after days of arson and looting.

Most of them talked of the resilience shown by Indians in general and Punjabis in particular as they closed ranks to keep the rioters at bay in London and others cities in West Midlands.

Bradford resident Surinder Singh Shinda, who is on a visit to his hometown of Phillaur, said he rang up his wife and asked her to keep their two sons indoors till the situation improved.

Jalandhar cantonment resident Devinder Dev, whose relatives live in Birmingham, remained glued to the TV, praying for the safety of his kin.

The Johals of the Civil Lines locality here saw anxious moments when they could not get through their niece Tina Sandhu in

Ealing. “The shop of one of her friends was ransacked and set afire in an adjoining locality,” he revealed.

Pardeep Sharma, a chef in a Southall restaurant, told TNS on the phone that roving gangs of rioters were intimidated by the huge presence of Punjabis as a result of which no damage was caused in the area.

“All those identified on CCTVs are being arrested and tried for rioting, arson and looting. Such strict measures have acted as a deterrent and the violence has abated,” he informed.

MLA Jassi Khangura, who represents the Kila Raipur constituency and has spent over 40 years in the UK, said Punjabi-dominated areas had remained largely untouched.

Dr Gursharan Singh, practicing medicine in London, said the media and the Opposition had been very responsible and supportive of government measures against the rioters.