Gunshots, terrorists, policemen, reporters, NSG Commandos and then bloodstains, heaps of dead bodies, people injured, piles of stones and debris and rubble all around. The worst was the hurt, shocked, enraged and furious feelings when people saw The Burning Taj.
Yes, The Heritage, The Dome, Our most prized possession, The Taj was attacked; severely and brutally attacked. It had been in the clutches of the terrorists not just for hours but for days. The plot was indeed a well planned one. Monitoring their plan from their hide-outs in Pakistan, thanks to technology, commercialized media and satellite phones; they do have brains par excellence only if hadn’t been used for destructive purposes.
Ajmal Kasab, the fishing trawler ‘Kuber’, the e-mail scrutiny, the extra-tightened security for the future speculated attacks; all of these and more, were all that the headlines could cover.
Indeed, a very well planned attack. Their attack on The Taj was rightly the attack on the hearts of Mumbaikars. An event post-which there were peace marches, candle-light rallies; youth and other citizens demanding a better government. It seemed like this attack was an eye-opener, not just for the sake of cribbing about the government but about raising questions about their security. A secular city demanding security; this was never new for the Mumbaikars. It had happened back in July, 2007, when the caterpillar of this concrete jungle had suffered a similar fate.
Amidst all of these, the khadi-kurta clad men grabbing opportunities at pointing fingers to one another. And another important thing doing its routine on t.v. screens, the fm channels, banners all around and popular celebrities voicing the words, “One Vote Can Make A Difference.” Wow!
A place which was considered and remembered as the pride of Mumbai is now being remembered for its terrorist attack and the heart-twitching event that shook the nervous system of Mumbai in the last days of November, 2008. A visit to that area will give you the feel that there’s something amiss in the pride of Mumbai and then you’ll spot the boards and barricades speaking Mr. Tata’s words, “Working to restore a symbol of Mumbai’s enduring spirit and dignity” – The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower.
With faith and belief, Mumbaikars keenly await the moment when The Taj shall be revived to its fullest, welcoming its foreign atithis with open arms and functioning just like before, like nothing ever happened!
