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Broken Hearts in Atlanta Get Consolation Also From the Vedas and the Koran

A P Kamath

Wisdom from the Vedas and Koran was offered, along with the messages from the Christian and Jewish scriptures at an Atlanta church on Wednesday as over 1,000 people joined in an interfaith meeting to mourn the victims of recent spate of violence in a city dedicated to the nonviolent spirit of Martin Luther King Jr and his inspiration, the Mahatma.

The prayer meeting was called by the city's mayor and was held at the Peachtree Road United Methodist Church. The service asked for "hope and remembrance for the city."

Last week, daytime trader, Mark O Barton, who had lost money in trading, went on a shooting spree inside two brokerages buildings, killing nine people and wounding a dozen others before fleeing. Five hours later, he committed suicide when confronted by police.

Earlier in the week, Barton killed his estranged wife and two children in their Henry County apartment.

Among the victims were Vadewattee Murlidhara, 44 and Dean Delawalla, 52.

Vadewattee Murlidhara, born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, had moved to an Atlanta suburb a few weeks ago, along with her physician husband, and two college going children, Rishi and Arti. She was taking computer courses at one of the brokerage firms, and also preparing herself to be a trader.

Dean Delawalla, 52, a former attorney turned businessman a few years ago. He was a day trader at one of the two brokerage firms devastated by Barton's attacks. His wife, Dr Gulshan Harjee, also from Pakistan, is active in the Indian and Pakistani communities.

She is a regular guest on the weekly Namaste Bombay television show.

"It was a beautiful and thought-provoking service," said community leader Subash Razdan, who attended it with his wife Raji. "Dean and his wife were part of our extended family," he said. "But we were also there as people who love this city -- and who believe nonviolence and goodness triumph ultimately."

The service opened with music. The Reverend Joanna Adams followed with a prayer, asking God to "tend these broken hearts that are bowed before you."

Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell then offered a eulogy. "An entire city desperately wants to know, why do bad things happen to good people?"

He called upon Atlantans "to take a moment out of their busy schedules at noon to think about the victims that were killed last Thursday as well as those who were killed during July. This will give our city a chance to begin the healing process."

Amitabh Sharma, president of the Greater Atlanta Vedic Society, was one of the speakers, and he spoke specifically about Muralidhara and her values. Shams Bhaloo, of Friend to the Islamic Community, spoke about Islam and Koranic thoughts on healing.

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