Memoirs of 26/11/08
Wednesday, 26th November at around 11pm, I was with my team in a conference call with our customers, when one of my colleagues turned her laptop towards me and pointed at something as if to say "Here's something you should see".
What I saw was a news website which flashed the headline - "Shootings in Mumbai". I read the article which mentioned that something had happened in South Mumbai, close to CST station. That area is far away from Tilaknagar and hence, I didn't pay much attention.
A few minutes later, I received an sms from my friend, who also hails from Mumbai which read - 'Serial Bomb blasts in Mumbai'. That was when I decided to leave the conference room and call him up. He had been following the news channels and the locations he informed me were all, fortunately, away from my home. It was late and so I was a little hesitant to call home. However, I woke up another friend who had family stays close to one of the blast sites and asked him to check and after I got his confirmation, I went back in to join the conference.
The meeting was over at around 12:15am and I came back to my desktop and opened all possible news sites to see what exactly had happened. The rest is news and will be written in history as 'War in Mumbai' or probably as 'India's 9/11'
This blog is not about the events that unfolded, but just some personal thought that occurred to me on night of 26/11/08.
I have been staying away from my family since February 2005. Since then, Mumbai has been a city where unprecedented events have occurred. The Deluge, two or three occasions of serial blasts across the city and now this...
Every event for me starts with a fear for the safety of family, relatives and friends. In such circumstances, the first thing to happen is the jamming of phone lines across Mumbai. What this means is that I need to keep trying patiently to get in touch with someone who can tell me that they are all safe. (The worst I remember, was during the floods in July 2006, when I hadn't heard from anyone for over three days!!!)
Once all that is confirmed, follows a long, long, patient wait for all the news to pour in regarding the total death count and the overall damage. It's this long wait that compels one to think that "I need to be with my family"
News and videos keep flashing across the channels carrying scenes of bloodshed, tragedy and almost certainly the heroics of our security forces and occasionally, some locals. It hurts even more to see it all happening in your own home.......
Then slowly the real picture emerges.
- During the floods, my father had to spend the entire night in the car on a flyover near home....The next day he had to wade in neck deep water to reach home....My family along with million others spent the next two weeks in complete darkness and isolation, not to mention the constant fear of catching a disease that is likely to spread on such occasions.
- During the first series of bomb blasts, my sister happened to be in college in south Mumbai, attending her exams. On hearing the news, my father drove all the way down there inspite of all the risks and made sure that she and her other friends were brought home safely.
- My cousin, who works in South Mumbai, had to spend the entire night in his office for his own safety when such things happen and when I spoke to him on Thursday morning, he was driving home with his friends knowing very well that there were 3 - 4 terrorists on the loose.
- And ofcourse my mom, who has to walk home all the way from the bank when disaster strikes.
These are just a few of the stories that are fresh in my mind. I am certain that every Mumbaikar can tell you a dozen stories each......
Everytime, I hear this, I can't help but feel helpless. All that I can do sitting a 1000 kms away is to call and ensure that everyone is safe and than tell them not to venture out.
What can I do to stop the terrorists, or the bombers or even a natural force like a cloudburst?? The Answer is NOTHING!!!.....and that, probably, will remain the biggest regret in my life.
However, the best thing about Mumbai is the fact that it gets back on it's feet in almost no time. A few hours after the blasts in the BEST buses and local trains, we can see passengers using the same modes of travel to get home or to get to work.....sending out a clear message - "WE ARE NOT AFRAID"..........and I am certain that this time around it will not be different.
What I saw was a news website which flashed the headline - "Shootings in Mumbai". I read the article which mentioned that something had happened in South Mumbai, close to CST station. That area is far away from Tilaknagar and hence, I didn't pay much attention.
A few minutes later, I received an sms from my friend, who also hails from Mumbai which read - 'Serial Bomb blasts in Mumbai'. That was when I decided to leave the conference room and call him up. He had been following the news channels and the locations he informed me were all, fortunately, away from my home. It was late and so I was a little hesitant to call home. However, I woke up another friend who had family stays close to one of the blast sites and asked him to check and after I got his confirmation, I went back in to join the conference.
The meeting was over at around 12:15am and I came back to my desktop and opened all possible news sites to see what exactly had happened. The rest is news and will be written in history as 'War in Mumbai' or probably as 'India's 9/11'
This blog is not about the events that unfolded, but just some personal thought that occurred to me on night of 26/11/08.
I have been staying away from my family since February 2005. Since then, Mumbai has been a city where unprecedented events have occurred. The Deluge, two or three occasions of serial blasts across the city and now this...
Every event for me starts with a fear for the safety of family, relatives and friends. In such circumstances, the first thing to happen is the jamming of phone lines across Mumbai. What this means is that I need to keep trying patiently to get in touch with someone who can tell me that they are all safe. (The worst I remember, was during the floods in July 2006, when I hadn't heard from anyone for over three days!!!)
Once all that is confirmed, follows a long, long, patient wait for all the news to pour in regarding the total death count and the overall damage. It's this long wait that compels one to think that "I need to be with my family"
News and videos keep flashing across the channels carrying scenes of bloodshed, tragedy and almost certainly the heroics of our security forces and occasionally, some locals. It hurts even more to see it all happening in your own home.......
Then slowly the real picture emerges.
- During the floods, my father had to spend the entire night in the car on a flyover near home....The next day he had to wade in neck deep water to reach home....My family along with million others spent the next two weeks in complete darkness and isolation, not to mention the constant fear of catching a disease that is likely to spread on such occasions.
- During the first series of bomb blasts, my sister happened to be in college in south Mumbai, attending her exams. On hearing the news, my father drove all the way down there inspite of all the risks and made sure that she and her other friends were brought home safely.
- My cousin, who works in South Mumbai, had to spend the entire night in his office for his own safety when such things happen and when I spoke to him on Thursday morning, he was driving home with his friends knowing very well that there were 3 - 4 terrorists on the loose.
- And ofcourse my mom, who has to walk home all the way from the bank when disaster strikes.
These are just a few of the stories that are fresh in my mind. I am certain that every Mumbaikar can tell you a dozen stories each......
Everytime, I hear this, I can't help but feel helpless. All that I can do sitting a 1000 kms away is to call and ensure that everyone is safe and than tell them not to venture out.
What can I do to stop the terrorists, or the bombers or even a natural force like a cloudburst?? The Answer is NOTHING!!!.....and that, probably, will remain the biggest regret in my life.
However, the best thing about Mumbai is the fact that it gets back on it's feet in almost no time. A few hours after the blasts in the BEST buses and local trains, we can see passengers using the same modes of travel to get home or to get to work.....sending out a clear message - "WE ARE NOT AFRAID"..........and I am certain that this time around it will not be different.
Comments
And no matter how much one says, each such crisis situation affects each and every resident, directly or indirectly.