World urges Egypt to stop fury; India still numbs

Cairo, Jan 30: Egypt observed one of its worst riots as more than hundred people died and the country watched a huge loss over the nation wide violence from last six days. US president Barack Obama personally called Egypt's president Hosni Mubarak to take necessary steps. Now, France, Germany, Britain follow Obama's path.

During a joint statement issued Saturday, Jan 29, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron urged the Egyptians to drop violence.

The world leaders express their "concern" regarding the fury that spreaded over the nation. They also hoped that Mubarak will be able to control the situation and also urged the protesters to safeguard their rights in a peaceful way.

However, India once again failed to take an initiative to express concern over a crisis in international level as no statement has been given yet by the government.

Obama, in his conversation with Mubarak, stated, "he (Mubarak) has a responsibility to give meaning to those words, to take concrete steps and actions that deliver on that promise. Violence will not address the grievances of the Egyptian people. Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away."

But Nobel peace prize owner and one of the main Opposition leader in Egypt, Mohamed Mustafa Elbaradei criticised US's stand on the whole issue as Elbaradei stated, "but at the last minute he (Obama) came out with an empty statement which was a huge disappointment to the Egyptian people."

Elbaradei also stated, "I will continue to participate in whatever it takes to make sure that the Mubarak regime should leave."

However, 82-year-old Mubarak on Jan 29 showed first signs of handing over power as he appointed for the first time his intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman as Vice-President after 30 years of autocratic rule.

Mubarak's decision at this time raised the question - Isn't it too little, too late?