26/11- The naked truth of Valor and Shame
Hemant Karkare, Chief of Mumbai ATS, Ashok Kamte, IPS officer Additional Commissioner of Police, and Vijay Salaskar , encounter specialist & Senior Police Inspector ,are the three most remembered names of the black Wednesday ,in the History of Indian terror attacks on Mumbai 26/11/08 who laid their lives for the country . Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and Hawaldar Gajendra Singh were the brave hearts of the NSG force who set a remarkable example posthumous for the one who serve the nation. This is an ode to the brave soldiers and their families for the sacrifices and impeccable valor.
I pray for those who lost their lives in this cruel incident and wish for the well being of their families.26/11 marked a shameful day in the milestones of the Indian History which pointed the weakness and flaws in the Indian “System”. 26/11/09 will be the first anniversary of the same day and the trials are still going on despite the clear CCTV footages and hundreds of witnesses.
A handful of terrorists (10 in number) went on a rampage killing people ruthlessly at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Oberoi Trident,the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Leopold Cafe ,Cama Hospital, the Nariman House, the Metro Cinema,St. Xavier’s College. There was an explosion at Mazagaon, in Mumbai’s port area, and in a taxi at Vile Parle. The terrorists opened fire at the CST which claimed more than 50 people and left hundreds injured. It took Maharashtra Govt. more than 10 hours to communicate & bring in the NSG forces into Mumbai. By the time the commandoes took charge, most of the damage had been done.
Taj heritage hotel was damaged to a great extend including the main building burnt and the dome damaged. CST was vandalized. One bomb explosion took place at the Oberoi Trident and six at Taj. People inside Nariman House were tortured and murdered. Most of them were NRI’s. By 27/11 rest of the places in Mumbai were under control; however people were taken hostage inside The Taj and the killing game continued till 28/11.
The terrorists seemed to know the internal map of the Taj well hence taking advantage of their geographical position. Hostages were asked to switch off their cell phones and a number of them shot dead. Smoke, gunshots, blood, bullet marks, burnt buildings and crying faces was all which could be seen and heard as the aftermath of the D –Day.
My heart goes out to those who lost their precious lives. For those who were rescued or spared alive by the terrorists, their memories are still haunted by the horrendous day. The kilns of the deceased , shed tears silently even today, thinking of the bullets which hit them or the blasts which blew them alive.
People paid a heavy price with their lives, for the flaws which the Government had overlooked. The coastal areas are now under scrutiny since the terrorists had arrived from Karachi in a boat contacting their master planners continuously.
What had happened to the interception and Coastal Security then??
When the fishermen who raised an alarm, informed the police while the gunmen arrived, the police turned a deaf ear to the suspicions. An immediate action could have saved Mumbai that day.
Was the most alert Police team sleeping?
Hemant Karkare lost his life since he was not given a bullet proof jacket. He was shot dead on the spot.
Why wasn’t he facilitated with this amenity?
When the situation was out of control and needed to be given to NSG forces, it took 10 long hours for them to arrive from Delhi to Mumbai. It was here realized that NSG hub should be set up in major cities too.
The CCTV footage clearly showed the faces of Terror. Among them Ajmal Kasb was the only one caught alive. Shamefully, even Pakistan denied his Pakistani nationality. What has been the Government been waiting for? Long after Pakistan accepted the claims of his Pakistani Origin, our Indian Government is still in the process of winding up the trials!! The Taj and Oberoi are sill under repair constructions and NSG hubs have been setup since then in other major cities including Bangalore & Kolkata. Politicians were condemned for the blame game they passed on instead of ensuring the safety and well being of the sufferers and survivors. Lives lost cannot be brought back however we can make an effort to build this country a better place to live in.
MNS chiefs- hope you understand. There are better things to cope up with than taking a so called stand for Marathi Culture. An infant doesn’t arrive with a culture tag n this world. It’s we who teach him. Our prime culture should be to speak up for the common man and not make his life misery. Its our responsibility to see weather the authorities stick to their promises or not. In action of the inability to do so, we may use the democratic power to resolve the issue.
26/11 will remain a scar in the face of India and the politicians. Lessons learnt should help in future to combat terrorism.
Nov 24,2009