Indian community prays for end to Sydney crisis (IANS Interview)

Indians in Sydney are praying that the hostage drama ends soon and all hostages held by a gunman, an Indian included, are released safely, an Indian businessman there said Monday.

Sri Shanmugam, 56, said in a telephonic interview that fewer Australians were on the streets in Sydney, and there had been a noticeable fall in the customers who usually throng his two restaurants.

"We are all shocked. We are all praying that this has a peaceful resolution," Shanmugam told IANS from Sydney, referring to the concerns of the Indian community estimated to be 350,000-strong.

"We never anticipated anything like this could happen in Sydney," said the businessman who studied in New Delhi and made Sydney his home in 1991. He retains his Indian citizenship and visits India often.

An Indian employee of Infosys Technologies was among the some 30 people held hostage by an armed man who stormed a cafe in Sydney's bustling business district, not far from the landmark Opera House. Sydney is the most populous city in Australia.

"These things are very uncommon," Shanmugam explained. "People in India are used to this sort of thing... You go everywhere in India and there are police and security cordons.

"In Sydney everything is open, things are safe. People are really worried. The dominant feeling is something is not okay. There is a feeling that the world is changing."

He said people were not coming out of their homes and were glued to their televisions, watching the hostage drama unfold. "There are a lot of delays in public transport. Normal activity has been disturbed."

Shanmugam, however, quickly added that the Australian police and security agencies "are doing a marvellous job".

The Indian owns two restaurants in Sydney. Both - Sri's Indian Eatery and Italian restaurant Beach Bitest Diner - are located in the northern region of Sydney, away from the scene of hostage drama.

"But we are all watching what's happening on TV. Nothing like this has happened before," he said. "People are really worried and shocked -- from the prime minister to our (New South Wales) premier.

"They all want a peaceful resolution," he added.

The Indian businessman felt that the gunman was apparently on his own, not a professional and "basically a local guy who probably has got some bad intentions of getting publicity.

"It doesn't look like he is doing this under the influence of top terrorist organisations... Authorities are talking to him. They feel that probably he will come around."