Ten Years Ago! 26 November 2008, the Day That Shook Mumbai
“On behalf of the Government of the United States of America and all Americans, I express my solidarity with the people of India and the city of Mumbai on the 10th anniversary of the Mumbai terrorist attack. We stand with the families and friends of the victims, whose loved ones were lost in this act of barbarism, including six American citizens. The barbarity of 26/11 shocked the entire world. It is an affront to the families of the victims that, after ten years, those who planned the Mumbai attack have still not been convicted for their involvement. We call upon all countries, particularly Pakistan, to uphold their UN Security Council obligations to implement sanctions against the terrorists responsible for this atrocity, including Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and its affiliates. The United States is committed to seeing that those responsible for this attack face justice. The Department of State Rewards for Justice (RFJ) Program is offering a new reward for up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of any individual who was involved in planning or facilitating the 2008 Mumbai attack”- Michael R. Pompeo, Washington, DC
Mangaluru: Is Mumbai safe after Mumbai 26/11/2008 attack: Ten years on, many Mumbaikars still feel scars of devastating terrorist attack, and are worried that attack of such kind can happen anytime now or in the future. 26/11 attack on Mumbai has left its mark on the city – not only with armed police patrolling tourist hot spots, but also on the psyche of India’s “city of dreams”. Mumbai, India’s City of Dreams, has always walked a fine line between hope and despair. Time and again, the home of Bollywood has overcome tragedy, with deadly bomb blasts, flooding and riots giving rise to the adage “The Spirit of Mumbai”.
This spirit – the resilience and very soul of India’s commercial and entertainment capital – was tested like never before ten years ago on 26 November 2008, when just ten Pakistani terrorists turned the world’s fourth largest city into a war zone, holding major landmarks such as the Taj Mahal Hotel under siege for three long days and nights and turning global counter-terrorism policy on its head. The 166 individuals killed and hundreds injured will be marked in Mumbai today, 26-11-2018 and throughout the week at public and private memorial services – with heightened security across the city.
The physical damage of the attack, that began on the night of November 26, 2008, has long since been swept away. The bullet holes are plastered over – apart from where they have been kept as a tourist gimmick – and the five star hotels were quick to replace the shattered glass and throw open their doors again. The lone surviving gunman, Ajmal Amir Kasab was hanged couple of years ago, while bilateral relations between India and Pakistan have finally started to improve. However, the attacks have left a lasting impact on the face of Mumbai.
Charles Monteiro speaking to Team Mangalorean from Bandra, Mumbai said, “If you look around Mumbai today, there are armed security in armoured vehicles mounted with machine guns patrolling the wealthy downtown heart of the city, with the iconic Gateway of India transformed from a bustling tourist hive to a controlled fortress. Hotel security, with airport-like scanners, car bomb checks for every vehicle and armed guards, now resembles Islamabad or Kabul. There are heavily-armed “Force One” units stationed across the city, ready to respond quickly to any attack or threat. Attack could happen any time on Mumbai, as the terrorists still have an eye on India, especially Mumbai”.
Sources reveal that during the 26/11 attacks, several police officers tried to combat the AK47-wielding terrorists with their misfiring, wooden-framed, bolt-action Short Magazine Lee-Enfield rifles – some of which were issued when Queen Victoria was still Empress of India and had not been fired for decades. Others simply fled. Police chiefs have since tried to rid the force of the caricature of overweight, lazy, corrupt policemen, dozing on their cane lathis (sticks). The force – humiliated and castigated for their total inability to handle five separate teams of just two men – has finally been equipped with 21st century weapons and officers receive better pay and training. It is learnt that the force is now far better prepared to face any future attack, with a “new mindset to improve mental toughness”.
Mumbai now has a dedicated group of units, who are trained for such situations. Now the response is much faster and more terrorist-oriented. The equipment has come in. The government did not spare any cost with the new top of the line equipment. The state and central government have jointly and individually initiated many measures to prevent and ward off such terror threats in the future, both from within and from the Arabian Sea route. Everyone has learnt a lesson with the experience of 26/11 leading to a transformation in global counter-terrorism strategies.
This new type of terror tactic generally targets densely populated urban areas, often landmark sites such as hotels, where a siege situation can be established to create maximum media coverage – and casualties. Rather than a complicated bomb attack, a small group of men armed with machine guns are sent in by “handlers” in a third country with a battlefield mentality, targeting civilians. It is a tactic that is very difficult to defend against. However, in Mumbai, ten years after the city’s darkest hour, the psychological scars of 26/11 have not healed. There remains a feeling of insecurity, fear and an overriding sense that the city is vulnerable.
The “Spirit of Mumbai” still exists, but the old bravado has gone – replaced by extra precautions taken and a day-to-day acceptance that the next attack is around the corner. The police, armed forces and government are unable to guard against it and the city was the victim of yet another terrorist attack in July 2011, when a string of bomb blasts left 26 people dead. Bhisham Mansukhani, a survivor of the Taj attack said: “It will take another attack to evaluate the security measures. I know a lot of people who have left the country because they felt vulnerable and if given a chance even I would want to move to some other country where I can live safely.”
One of the prime witnesses in the Kasab trial that gripped India, Devika Rotawan, who was shot in the leg during the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal Station attack on 26/11 said: “I am fearless, but I know our government is not capable of preventing further terror attacks.” Sunita Shah, who was at CST on 26/11, summed up how people have come to terms with the fact that they will never have security: “Mumbai is attacked so often that one just becomes numb to it. Not much seems to have changed after 26/11 – just a few tanks here and there. The people certainly don’t feel safer. We are just waiting for the next tragedy.”
So is Mumbai still Safe to live, is the question many Mumbaikars ask, but with no other option they still love their hometown, with no intention to move out. God is their only guardian, strength and support. Team Mangalorean remembers and expresses heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family members of those victims perished in the 26/11/2008 terror attack.
With inputs/Pics from The Big Picture
