When MUMBAI burned and INDIA cried !!!

Now that was something no one ever dreamt of. I mean that was OK to see in an action flick, but surely not to see it happen before your eyes. Although I was not in Mumbai when this happened; but touch wood, I could feel the pain and agony that people trapped and the people struggling to rescue them must be going through. HATS OFF to the brave soldiers, the commandos, the police and last but not the least to all those unsung heroes who fought until every single element who were involved in this mayhem were down to dust.

Never ever in his/her wildest of dreams, can someone anticipate that 10 terrorist with dozens of AK47 and nearly a truck load of hand grenades and explosives can enter a city like Mumbai with such ease and carry out their brutal operations that too at multiple locations in the city. Now before I proceed, let me tell you that many of these locations were hallmark buildings and an integral part of Mumbai. Be it CST station, TAJ Hotel, OBEROI Hotel, LEOPOLD restaurant, CAMA hospital or the much talked about NARIMAN HOUSE. An average Mumbaikar has grown up seeing and admiring the beauty of these age old institutions.

This attack (or lets say “WAR”, as many media houses aptly quoted it) took away nearly 183 lives and still counting. It included 29 foreigners and around 20 police personals. Around 300 more were injured and even more than that went through a mental trauma which they can never ever forget in their lives. For these 59 hours, entire country did nothing but watched minute by minute and second by second the proceedings that were being carried out by our brave soldiers to save each and every life that was endangered. In between, there were billions of hearts and lips praying for the safety of their countrymen, their near and dear ones.

Finally after hard fought 59 hours between fire and debris and after dozens of our cops and commandos lost their life in the line of duty, the battle was over. For sometime it may seem the fight was over but in true sense, that was the time when India’s fight against terrorism had begun. There was anger and outrage every where. People were not ready to digest the incident the way did every other time. People wanted change; change in the mindset of our politicians, change in the way country’s security is handled, change in the way government deals with terror and terrorists, change in the way intelligence system works in our country. This was time people were united and wanted the government to think beyond party politics. We have a hard battle to fight; a battle against these bloody terrorist, a battle against the rusted system existing in the country, a battle against all those people who divide us in the name of caste, creed, religion, region etc. But we know that we are one. United we stand and divided we fall, that’s pretty clear.

Today entire nation is mourning for the lost lives and is in a state of shock. Who knows, I can be the next victim or may be a near and dear ones of mine. It’s high time when a change has to come. A change that can be visible to the necked eyes, a change that can be seen on the streets and roads, a change that can be seen in every Indian blood. Now that also means change is not isolated from us rather we need to be a part of that change. Let’s take a pledge that we shall stand for unity and integrity of our nation. We shall not involve ourselves in any such act which tries to break the fabric of our country nor allow anyone else to do so. We will be an alert citizen who knows his/her responsibilities and abide to it.

Let it be done before it’s too late. When America can do that; YES WE CAN.

God bless every one with good conscience and let all the departed souls remain in peace.