A thanksgiving break that was going to be utilized well as a study break turned out to be something that was far beyond imagination. On Wednesday morning I turned the tv on to catch up with some of the day's headlines. The breaking news (on NDTV) was that Mumbai was under attack, and it wasn't just those low intensity time bomb attacks that other Indian cities had endured throughout this year. This was much bigger, unprecedented and something that would be known as India's 9-11. As the reporters explained that terrorists had entered and shot many people inside some of Mumbai's most posh and luxurious hotels, and were holding many hostages, I knew it was going to turn out to be a very long day. Little did I know, that one long day was going to stretch into sixty very long and unforgettable hours.
As the news story unfolded in front of my eyes, I found out that the bloody rampage was carried out at multiple sites around the city -10 in all. Some of the early pictures showed the massacre at the Leopold cafe and the CST station which were merely a diversion for the authorities as the main targets were the Taj and Oberoi. They had come with the intention of causing maximum damage and to kill till the last breath. After killing a couple of the terrorists, arresting one and losing some of our own top officers, the attention of the nation turned to three major sites where these terrorists would wreak havoc for the next sixty hours-The Taj Mahal hotel, Oberoi and Nariman House where many people were held hostage.
Amongst the first ones to report were the local police authorities, the army, MARCOS (naval commandos), and RAF (rapid action force). As the authorities realized the severity of the situation, they also summoned the elite NSG (national security guard) commandos who are trained throughout the year for tackling situations like the one at hand.
The courageous men from the army, the commandos and the Mumbai police force fought with much bravery to save the lives of innocents caught up in the horrific ideology of these terrorists. These men carried out their duty well and some of them even laid their lives down in the process. After rescuing hundreds of hotel guests and staff members, they went in to confront the terrorists and only emerged after neutralizing every single one of them. Not to mention they saved Mumbai's most precious and iconic symbol-the Taj from being reduced to rubbles as planned by the millitants.
As for me, I was glued to the couch with my eyes on the television for the length of the entire operation. Switching back and forth between four news channels I tried to make sense of what was going on, and why it was happening. Somewhere in the middle of the operation, the whole thing started to look surreal. It seemed more like a bad movie with no end in sight. There were times when I felt bursts of anger and sadness. At times I wanted to yell out, how dare they! I wished I was there to help people somehow as those who did by donating blood and those who came together in this time of need and served refreshments to policemen and firemen working nonstop to save lives. While other times I just looked helplessly into the eyes of my clueless dog. In the final hours of the operation as a part of the Taj broke out in intense fire, tears welled up in my eyes.
India watched in horror as innocent lives were lost and as shameless, callous politicians played the blame game and used the tragedy as an opportunity to propagate themselves. We applaud and salute the martyrs who sacrificed their lives; the commandos, the police and army personnel, firemen, the hotel staff, and other civilians who acted valiantly in this time of terror.
Mr. Terrorist: I am alive. What more can you do?
Mr. Politician: I am alive despite you.
I am a Mumbaikar.
-a placard held by one of the persons at the Mumbai vigil
