meandmyexpressions: A Week Past...

Taj Attacked

"They can rip us apart, they can blow everything to bits, they can pump bullets into our businesses but we- our core undefeated and intact- pick up the pieces fast and restore ourselves. They can gut our hotels but they can’t destroy our guts. INDIA FIGHTS BACK.” Thus ran a quote on ET’s front page a week after terrorist attack on Mumbai- calling it India’s 9/11.

A week after 60 hrs of battle. A battle to save the lives of innocents held at gunpoint.
A week after the death of almost 200 people out of which 30 were foreigners.
A week after we lost our brave soldiers- Karkare, Salvaskar, Kaamte and many more
A week after baby Moshe was orphaned and Viraj lost his mother at CST (the one year baby drinking water in the arms of a Head Constable Suresh Salunkhe police officer- A picture that appeared on the front page of ET)
A week after we witnessed death, tears and helplessness in front of our eyes.

Attack on CST

Its been a week since I have been trying to put my thoughts together but some how words seemed to fall short of describing the utter bewilderment and sadness that dawned on me as I scanned through the news channels soaking in any information on the hostage situation on 27th Nov 2008. It had been 28 hours and firing, blood and grenade attacks could be seen everywhere. The news channels surrounded the Taj like falcons hovering around, waiting for an animal to die.
Right from the common man like Bhishm Mansukhani who had gone to Taj to attend a wedding, to the known like- Shyam Benegal, Shobha De, Lata Mangeshkar and many more were asked to comment on the terror attack.

Operation at Nariman House

It was quite an opportunity for our dear politicians though. With assembly elections round the corner, Mumbai blast became an agenda for them to woo votes. (Elections were held in Delhi on 29th Nov, 2008, as scheduled). Their lackadaisical approach and Mah CM Deshmukh asking the special task forces to march towards Mumbai hours after the attack only increased the casualty count. The people were being killed indiscriminately while the NSG commandos waited for a plane to fly down from Delhi to be taken to Mumbai. And then they were carried to the attacked sites in the Mumbai BEST buses. (While our cricketrs get the deluxe- state-of –the-art buses). It only left the common man wondering at the un-preparedness of India in the wake of any such national calamity. The forces are not to be blamed. NSG’s request for an aircraft for their use was not agreed by the authorities and government.

Who says the so called leaders didn’t come to share grief with the masses? Mr. Modi was outside The Oberoi after 37 hours of gunbattle that only led to the police force run helter skelter for his security. Utter nuisance.
Many leaders could not make it due to their assembly election schedule. After all, in the words of Mr. R. R Patil, Former Deputy CM of Maharashtra “ Aisi chhoti moti vaardaat toh hoti rehti hai.”

While Unnikrishnan breathed his last facing a volley of bullets from the militants inside the Taj, the government did not even prepare a befitting funeral for the martyr. And when Unnikrishnan’s father slammed the door on the face of Kerala CM- Achuthanandan asking him to leave immediately in a fit of anger (justified) the CM says “Had it not been Unnikrishnan, even a dog would not have come to this house!” Aghast as I am, we need to get rid of the weeds from our nation where people like Unni, Salaskar, Tukaram Omble (who took the bullets of the only arrested terrorist- Ajmal Ameer Kasab at the Chowpaty helping other officers to overpower Kasab), Bertie Gomes, Banja, Paramjit Singh and many other employees of the two hotels who realized their duty and gave their lives for its sake.
They knew what it was to be born an Indian. They knew what it took to be an Indian.

Stories on politicians and their reactions have been filling up a lot of air time on news channels and space on all the dailies. Now is the time when we can get together and bring about change in the system. Its not the politicians but you and me who make India. Its Us who can make this change happen.

Victims