Remembering 26/11

It is tough for Mumbai and its locals to forget what happened on 26/11/2008. It was a sad day for Mumbai. Telly actors from Siddharth Kumar Tewary’s Mahakali share their experiences of this day and talk about the safety in the city.

Vishal Nayak – I was terrified when I came to know about the terrorist attack in Mumbai and for the next few days, I was even scared to step out of the house. I think the government is much more prepared now and is ready to tackle and avoid such disasters in the future. We have learnt our lesson and now I feel Mumbai is safer.

Hitanshu Jinsi – It was a bad day for Mumbai and for all of us, living her. I was born and brought up in Jammu & Kashmir, so I have grown up watching all this. I don’t get scared but I do feel bad. I think education plays a major role in making a human truly compassionate. Majority of terrorists lack this education and they fail to understand humanity. Mumbai is a very beautiful and safe place to live. We all know Mumbai never sleeps and is also touted as a safe city. The government should keep a close watch on the customers who purchase or sell ammunitions and increase the number of CCTV cameras installed in the city.

 

Arjun Singh – 26/11 had a great impact on the heart of our country. It was more of a psychological warfare. It is difficult to forget the images of smoke billowing from the windows of the Taj Mahal hotel and the National Security Guard (NSG) commandos on their mission to rescue people stranded in Taj, Oberoi Trident and Nariman House. The attack was a target on the elite and the privileged, something that never happened in the country before. It was not for the first time that Mumbai witnessed a terror attack on its soil. The city has witnessed several terror strikes before 26/11.  We can actually divide India’s tryst with terrorism into two parts -pre-26/11 and post-26/11 terror attacks. The large-scale human loss–164 to be precise–by just 10 gunmen tested the country’s counter-terrorism measures. I feel the government has taken many steps to improve the condition and the security of people in Mumbai. From 2008, till date, the city police have stepped up coastal security. But a lot more can be done. For instance, the demand for new boats is currently pending with the state government. They are still awaiting bigger and better boats that can help them patrol the sea. Things are improving but we don’t know what is going to happen in future. Every city, state, the country is equally safe and unsafe because there is no surety of anything.