By Roman Zakaluzny
As India and Pakistan teeter on the brink of war, Toronto's expatriate communities are hoping for the best but fearing for the worst.
As the South Asian nations continue their war of words on the Indian subcontinent, shoppers and residents in Toronto�s Little India are praying reason will prevail between the nuclear powers.
"Whatever is going on between those two countries is not right," said Farrukh Sayeed, an engineer eating lunch on Gerrard St. E. "They should resolved this in a peaceful manner."
Questions
Relations between the two groups along the six-block strip have been good in the past. They interact in the strips many markets, restaurants and clothing stores.
The Pakistani and Indian consulates here maintain business is normal, although people have had questions.
"People have been asking 'Is there going to be a clash?' but on the contrary, travel has increased in the new year," said Iftikhar Arain, Pakistani consulate consul general.
"We haven�t increased any visible security," said Praveen Verma, an officer at the Indian consulate.
The RCMP handles security of both nations' consular offices.
People willing to talk about the conflict say relations remain good.Vandana Leung, born in New Delhi but a Canadian for the last 20 years, said if there are differences in the way Indians and Pakistanis are treating each other, she hasn't seen it.
"In my daily life, there�s no difference, because we don't live in that world," she said.