Mumbai's 9/11

The luxurious Taj Mahal Palace, the Gateway is a potent symbol of old and new India. But last week these icons of the Mumbai cityscape earned a new horrific significance as terrorists used them to strike a blow? Was it all part of the global jihad against the West? And since it happened in Mumbai makes it even more promising to make it a headline as it is an emerging power in the world?

The impact has indeed been instant and extensive, reaching into the worlds of politics, business and even sport, and on all levels - internationally, regionally and nationally in India.


Quoting Alex Chamberlain, a sports website director who escaped from the hotel through a fire exit. The militants ordered everyone upstairs, told them to put their hands up and asked if there were any British or Americans, he said. "My friend said to me: 'Don't be a hero, don't say you are British'."

So does that mean that this is a direct retaliation towards the American and British citizens. Has this got to do anything with the fact that these are the powerful nations in the world who are a constant threats to al-Qaeda or any such organisation and there very existence.

Questions are also raised on the security system and the intelligence of India. Considering Mumabai being the financial hub of the nation and the targets were landmarks with in the country , the group of terrorists had their homework done quite well. They were thus prepared to fight till there last breath and not give up. So question being who has trained them ? Considering these kind of operations takes months or years of training and research . So how have people have had such a security lapse.

India is a big and vast nation and it is surrounded by sea on 3 sides and thus making it a prey for easy access. So what would be the measures taken to make sure that this doesnot get repeated again.

India has been fighting terrorism for a long time now. But the attack that began Wednesday night, when armed men got off boats at the tourist hub of Gateway of India and targeted 10 landmark locations, ended across the road at the heritage Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel Thursday morning in a hail of bullets and blasts took more than 60 hours to end , an hostage situation which was one of its kind.

Many countries are now looking into their own internal securities because no one was prepared for such kind of well planned attacks .

Like everyone is saying
The terror trauma has ended, but the anguish for many has just begin.