From 11pm on Wednesday night till 4 am Thursday morning, what India witnessed is a brand new terrorism, improvised to produce unprecedented results, the kind of terror that was not felt or seen ever before. An act of terrorism which is no less than a war.
I started following the news on TV, simultaneously I started tweeting what I saw on TV, then I wrote a Mutiny post. Initially there were a lot of confusion it only started with indiscriminate firing from a mere pub as hours passed horror started spreading, much as the fire on Taj.
’18 died, several injured’ soon turned to ’70 killed hundreds injured’, Police men started dying, 7 of them including 3 top ranking. ATS chief Hemant Karakare injured DEAD. He died even before I could publish the Mutiny post. At one point it seemed like there was a possibility of this attack turning into a hostage situation, as there were many tourist held as hostages inside the Taj by terrorist. We could hear several gun shots coming out of Taj live on TV. Grenade attacks caused a huge fire on the top floors of Taj. It was our WTC, the building was up in flames live on TV we watched helplessly.
Then it came under control. Hostages started getting rescued. Though even as I write this, there are still more people inside Taj and some gun shots are still are being heard fron Trident.
Meanwhile, the nation have been wide awake monitoring every step of this mayhem. Hundreds of micro bloggers on Twitter have been continuously giving out vital information like Mumbai Police’s emergency numbers, ‘I am safe’ messages to the near and dear ones. Prominent bloggers of the nation have already set up the help Mumbai page. Vinu risk going out to the spot to take live photographs and soon uploaded them on Flickr. A wiki page is already been made.
Now its 5 am. We all must sleep for a bit to be able reach work at 9 am. That sounds so simple isn’t it? We’d all reach work in time, carry on with our lives, they would say Mumbai city is back to life, what a great spirit. Way to go.
But what were we doing watching this terror all night? What for? Is it because we are concerned or is it because it was thrilling? Why did so many of us stay awake all night tweeting every thing we watched on TV or heard from friends who were there? After all where does all these lead us to? Nowhere new at least. We’d go exactly where we always have been going. In Mumbai school colleges and offices would stay closed but my boss in Bangalore or Delhi or Singapore won’t understand why I am even late will they?
What do we do? What are the oh-so-concerned new / social media users who showed concern all night going to do? What can we do?
How many blasts must we face before we retaliate?
11pm when we first heard the news, it was “two rival gangs fired at each other in Colaba, no casualties” and we just shrugged it off. Now its 5 AM and we are still in office afraid to go home. Only those who live close by went home. We don’t wanna take the same risk. Better safe than sorry, I guess.
But strangely, none of the phone networks are jammed this time.
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errr… your blog time is very different from Mumbai time! :) Its 5:20AM to be exact over here.
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I am a Mumbaikar, though living in another city. There are tens of thousands like me whose hearts are permanently in Mumbai even if they live elsewhere. We keep saying we are proud of Mumbai’s spirit that does not crumble under any adversity; and indeed we are truly proud. But is our pride only in the ability to stand straight after every punch in our stomach? We know, the world knows, where the terrorists are trained, supplied, and indoctrinated into this suicidal cult. An attack on the US homeland was trigger enough to obliterate an accomplice country – when do we root out our nemesis? Most of these nests are supposed to be in PoK – why can’t we caution Pak to stand silent while we wipe out these dens. How much more hurt is India to bear before the world comes to the same conclusion. Regretably it’s the deplorable and selfish quality of our polictics that prevents any decisive action the nation should take. Till then, our hearts will bleed for stoic Mumbaikars for their regular tryst with tragedy.
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Reeling under a major economic crisis..This fiasco was the least that we Mumbaikars had ever expected…
The horrifying news of the open firings and violence sent shivers down my spine…it being a bolt from the blue..
The fact that shook me to the core was the open confrontation BY the so-called Terrorists had..shuddering the public..
Due to the apparent targeting of British and American citizens,and the pattern of co-ordinated attacks, Islamic terrorists are thought to have been responsible for the turn-up of the events.
A previously unknown organization identifying itself as the Deccan Mujahideen claimed responsibility by email sent to news organizations…
The pandemonium created at VT station called in for all d up/down trainz to b cancelled..
Being a student…it is at dis tym dat our clsses get over..n we journey back home..a long way down d Central line…
On a personal note… it shuddered me to think of what wud hv been the situation of my family members had it been me out dere.. involved in utter chaos.. wich was all pervading.. yesterday.. n continues to haunt the streets of mumbai today…
N to think of the plight of thousands of such families.. who found their stomachs churn at d mentioning of the turn-up of the events..with deir kith n kin abstaining from home..
The entire scnario was traumatic..the teenage mutilants..hiking a POLICE-VEHICLE n ramapging the already-fright stricken streets of mumbai.. opening fire at the innocent people ..
We also witnessed the intensity of the security operations.. with the mighty mumbai police wich has been.. with due support of the NSG.. been constantly on ALERT.. trying hard to rescue the hostages from the TAJ n THE OBEROI hotels..
According to Maharashtra chief minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, fourteen policemen have been killed in total, including the following high profile officers:
Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad Chief: Hemant Karkare, who headed the team investigating the politically sensitive 2006 Malegaon blasts. Karkare had also been receiving death threats recently, but whether they were related to his death is not clear.
Additional Commissioner of Police: Ashok Kamte
Encounter specialist: Vijay Salaskar
Three railway officials of CST have also been killed in the terror strikes until yester day nite…
as of now.. the death toll has escalated beyond 100.. and the injured being estimated to around 300..
The latest news to come in was of the wife n kids of GENERAL MANAGER of THE TAJ.. being charred to death in d fire.. which struck the HOTEL..
But the fundamental question remainzz:
WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF ALL DIS..??
WAT DO DESE PEOPLE WANT TO PROVE..??
WHO DO DEY THINK DEY CAN SUPPRESS..??
Mumbai has had the nerve to go back to normal life.. in the face of terror..
DIS IS WAT IS MUMBAI.. DIS IS OUR SPIRIT..
HAIL MUMBAI..!!
HAIL MUMBAIKARS..
THREE CHEERS TO THE UNDEFEATED SPIRIT AND COURAGE OF ALL D MUMBAIKARS..!!!
KUDOS..!!
We shall pledge to remain undaunted by the faze… n carry on wid our lives..
WE SHALL REMAIN UNITED AT DIS JUNCTURE….
AND PAY HOMAGE TO ALL D NOBLE SOULS WHO VALIANTLY AND FEARLESSLY SACRIFICED DEIR LIVES TO PROTECT US.. TO PROTECT TH WHOLE OF MUMBAI..!!!
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I sincerely hope there won’t be a back lash,which could result in unending bloody riots
I share my views here
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I have always been proud to be an Indian but now i begin to ask myself am i proud of the fact today? No!!! We are hippocrates. We beleive we are a great race. Yes great because we are thick skinned? Not even innumerable blasts shake us. Life just goes on….Do we really value loss of lives? its just another peice of news, we think or feel for it for sometime and then life goes on? when are we gonna wake up and do something about it? What sort of response the politicians are showing to such a massacre? Its disgusting. How can we just let them do this to us. Its high time we wake up. Please wake up….Jago Hindustan Jago
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Subject: URGENT: Are you aware of Voting Rights
Section 49-O of the Constitution of INDIA.
Did you know that there is a system in our constitution (conduct of Election Rules), as per the 1969 act, in section “49-O” that a person can go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey the presiding election officer that he doesn’t want to vote anyone!
Yes such a feature is available, but obviously these seemingly notorious leaders have never disclosed it. This is called “49-O”.
Why should you go and say “I VOTE NOBODY”… because, in a ward, if a candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has received “49-O” votes more than 123, then that polling will be cancelled and will have to be re-polled. Not only that, but the candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest the re-polling, since people had already expressed their decision on them. This would bring fear into parties and hence look for genuine candidates for their parties for election. This would change the way, of our whole political system… it is seemingly surprising why the election commission has not revealed such a feature to the public….
Please spread this news to as many as you know… Seems to be a wonderful weapon against corrupt parties in India… show your power, expressing your desire not to vote for anybody, is even more powerful than voting… so don’t miss your chance.
So either vote, or vote not to vote (vote 49-O) and pass this info on…
“Please forward this mail to as many as possible, so that we, the people of India, can really use this power to save our nation”
Use your voting right for a better INDIA.
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I must advocate two pronged strategy to contain terrorism
I. Avoid all dealings with Pakistan irrespective of business, cricket, entertainment etc etc.
II. Must teach a lesson to politicians by using section 49-O of
Are you aware of Voting Rights
Section 49-O of the Constitution of INDIA.
Did you know that there is a system in our constitution (conduct of Election Rules), as per the 1969 act, in section “49-O” that a person can go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey the presiding election officer that he doesn’t want to vote anyone!
Yes such a feature is available, but obviously these seemingly notorious leaders have never disclosed it. This is called “49-O”.
Why should you go and say “I VOTE NOBODY”… because, in a ward, if a candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has received “49-O” votes more than 123, then that polling will be cancelled and will have to be re-polled. Not only that, but the candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest the re-polling, since people had already expressed their decision on them. This would bring fear into parties and hence look for genuine candidates for their parties for election. This would change the way, of our whole political system… it is seemingly surprising why the election commission has not revealed such a feature to the public….
Please spread this news to as many as you know… Seems to be a wonderful weapon against corrupt parties in India… show your power, expressing your desire not to vote for anybody, is even more powerful than voting… so don’t miss your chance.
So either vote, or vote not to vote (vote 49-O) and pass this info on…
“Please forward this mail to as many as possible, so that we, the people of India, can really use this power to save our nation”
Use your voting right for a better INDIA.
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Taj Palace will be back in 8-12 months, but the Pigeons of Taj are back already.
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Hi,
This is what I decided to do. In fact using the power of technology and media I want to get Indians and global citizens worldwide to have a discussion about Global terror.
http://www.thetaxitakes.com is a project based on conversations in Mumbai Taxis about 26/11 and related events.
Do have a look and let me know your thoughts.
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