Below are some of my thoughts around this incident which i want (have?) to share.Maybe to vent as well. But purely from a volume perspective, would want to talk about views which i dont really find expressed in the media coverage around this incident.
- It is now the evening of the 29'th. The nation is seized with a sense of helplesseness which it doesnot know how to shed. Politicians are obviously the first target. Expensively dressed individuals come on television blaming the "system" or the "establishment". Any politician who tries to be remotely pragmantic is panned by the media. Clearly, everyone needs a tangible villian. Will they go ahead and create one?
- On the night of the 26'th, i was glued to the TV till the wee hours of the morning. Amongst the striking visuals i remember was that of Mr. Hemant Karkare, the ATS chief who subsequently was shot down by the terrorists, leading operations near the foot-over-bridge in VT. 'Why doesnt he have a bulletproof jacket on? I wondered as i comfortably dozed off ' that night at 3:30 Am. At 5:30 in the morning my phupha from Assam woke me up. "Are you aware that terrorists in Mumbai have killed most of the police top brass?" I got up, dazed and confused, not knowing what he was referring to till i switched on the tube. To me, nothing more that 120 minutes had passed since i last saw him alive.
- Mrs Karkare, has refused compensation offered by Narender Modi. To me , this is the biggest news item of the entire day.
- 10 terrorists . 400 injured. 1 guy on an average managed to shoot dead or injure 40 individuals. Who cares if they are civilians and not equiped professionals? They were kafirs anyways. If i were a brainwashed fidayeen, why would i want to fight a war? This is so much easier!
- I did an MBA. I saw it as the easiest way to earn money and be comfortable. And make my loved one's comfortable as well. I never regretted that. Till this day maybe. When i saw the body of Major Sandip Unnikrishnan, the 31 year old Major in the NSG who got shot down at the confrontation in Taj, being taken through his last rights by his very composed father. "My son laid down his life in his duty to the country", said his very proud father, almost smilingly to the TV cameras. To me, along with Mrs. Karkare, here atlast, stood an equal gentleman. Would i be ever able to make my father as proud?
Frankly, no chance.
- Mr. Karambir Singh Kang- the GM of Taj Mahal Hotel has not stopped work clearing hostages even after getting to know that his wife and kids have been charred to death in their rooms. There was this dazed photograph of him sitting by the bay on the early hours of the 27'th morning which was published in TOI. Having a sip of water before joining back work at the operations in the hotel. This was after he got to know about his family.
- "Are you safe?" Is what most of my outstation friends tend to start their converstions with whenever they have called me up in the last few days. I reply back,
" I'm home"
knowing fully well i cannot ever convincingly answer back on that question.
- I have been in this city since 2006. During my early few months, and in some ways -till date, the ultimate symbol of arrival in Mumbai was all about walking into the Taj Mahal Hotel for a dinner. Of whatever history i've managed to read up about this city, these aspirations were not too different from what people have had a 100 yrs back. To my mind, the terrorist have not hit a landmark, a structure, or a monument. They have hit my aspiration, and the aspiration of millions of other Mumbaikars. And that is what their biggest mistake is.
