War on Mumbai

My earliest memories of the Taj Mahal Hotel are as a 6 years old on his first visit to the iconic Gateway of India. It stood there - firm and resilent, right next to the Gateway, while we enjoyed the cool Arabian sea breeze along with the Bhel Puri, a mouth-watering Indian retreat. I remember passing through its grand Ballroom years later with some of my colleagues at Capgemini. It was being decked to welcome a distinguished Russian state visitor. The Taj is a permanent association in the minds of us Mumbaikars. Last week those memories came flooding back as I watched from my Boston hotel room, and saw the iconic Taj Mahal hotel on fire.

CNN first reported that terrorists had opened fire at VT (Victoria Terminus) and I though this was just another of those 'Shoot & Run' terrorist attacks. My first response... called up my younger brother who works with a 5-Star property in Mumbai. It was later that news broke out about hostages being taken inside the Taj and Oberoi. And the rest is history... the terrorists eventually getting 'neutralized' one-by-one after a gunbattle with the elite India Commandos, in a tussle that lasted for well over 60 hours. As I followed CNN minute by minute, I was a surprised at the coverage that India and Mumbai in particular was getting all of a sudden here on the US neworks... CNN in particular. Later in the evening, when I stepped out into Harvard Sq, I saw some curious eyes around me and soon enough at the 'Market in the square' restaurant, a Japanese-American stepped up to my table and asked me with a smile "Everything fine back home"?. "Yes" I said, barely managing to smile back. I was touched by his concerns... as much as I was by the events that were still unfolding 'back home'. For they were hurting and bleeding my lovely city.

I later learnt that the attack had affected someone I remotely knew too, when we received an official mail from our alma mater that we had lost two of our alumni - juniors from the SP Jain MBA program, in the firing at Cafe Leopold. One of them I learnt, was about to get married very soon. There were many more heart rendering stories like these across all levels... from the VT Platform sweeper who died while doing his job, to the famous ET food critic who lost her life in the fires that raged on the 6th floor of the Taj.

These kinds of events though bring out the best in ordinary people. Like the brave Taj Mahal employees who risked getting shot to get guests out of harm's way. And hostages still recount stories of the bravery of their saviours, the Indian Commandos.

Post the attacks, there are clear signs tha we have reached the 'Tipping Point'. As the common man demonstrates his anger in Silent Candle lit protests, heads continue roll in the Mantralaya (the state house) in Maharashtra and politicians in New Delhi scramble for damage control policies and to come up with ways to counter this new form of Terrorism.

But we must not forget that Mumbai has the best counterterrorism policy - Resilence.

Cafe Leopold opened days after the strike and guess what it was buzzing with activity & tourists yet again. The BSE Sensex opened on Friday and closed higher. And as the American President elect Barak Obama put it in his condolence message "These terrorists who targeted innocent civilians with their hate-filled ideology will not defeat India's great democracy, nor shake the will of a global coalition to defeat them."

I have a trip to India planned soon and I will make it a definite point to visit the Taj again... just to relive those childhood memories - once again.

Long Live the Taj! Long Live India!