As soon as I turned on TV in the early night on the 26th and witnessed lunacy at its best- the indiscriminate gunfire in South Bombay, surprise and shock gripped me. I wasn't sure that the Local cops would be able to contain them immediately, but never did I expect it to turn the way we have witnessed all of Nov. 27th 2008.
After texting my friends about the news, i turned in early on the 26th. Woke up early next morning, only to find-the Taj mahal hotel set abaze, and a terrorist situation. Like i am sure you have heard the news channels say, things turned very fast. A lot of policemen were killed including ATS chief, ACP Mumbai and an experienced Encounter Specialist. I don't know them personally, but instant sorrow and grief swept over me.I have found that as soon as you put a face and name to any one among the hundred anonymous victims, a deep sense of sadness fills me.
I was among the relatively fortunate who saw this terrorist situation develop rapidly into a hostage situation from my home, and not on the streets of South Bombay, or inside those buildings. The news channels albeit doing their best not to perform their tacit responsibility of SENSATIONALIZING the news, were not entirely helpful. They kept repeating what we knew, and showed that they did little to find out more. CNN an American news channel, was the only one I could find who went online to get information. Which was giving more information than the hordes of journalists at ground zero. When i went online myself to find out about the "DECCAN Mujahideen"(seemed so much of a made up name), i found out on Wikipedia a few lines. There was more information about the events that took place last night on the internet(Wikipedia, BBC,word press) than on the news channels.
Our media sadly were found digging for new treasure on an already explored island. The most silliest of questions were posed to a survivor, and the DG of police. One good thing was they were flashing helpline numbers and were calling out for donation of blood. I am unaware of the response people got on those helpline numbers.
While I saw no pattern emerge from the series of events, there were news channels saying it was an attack on Westerners. But in that case CAMA hospital, VT station, Vile Parle all just dont add up. If it was to create confusion, they have not created CONFUSION. And as suggest to me by my friend over the phone, i don't think its just a gang of people with an aim to take lives. They would have killed everyone by now. The mind of a lunatic cannot be understood to have motives, i agree, but surely there must be some reason, even if it is changing from time to time, and pointless.
Our beloved political parties, with their hordes and hordes of activists maintained a conspicuous silence given their proclaimed love for this state and its aboriginals. There is so much they could have done. I don't mean fight the terrorists(although when they start protesting and disrupting daily lives for their leader, they have a countenance that betrays invincibility), but things like getting on the streets, and moving people from crowded hospital to one which isn't as busy. Move victims who make it out to safe locations. Find out about the people inside, and make sure their relatives know.
Patrol the streets of Bombay, and see if they can identify any disruptive acts. There is so much they could have done if they really felt for this city they way they claim. But that i guess, is expecting way too much. Where would the head honchos be able to create their own disruptiveness by helping the city. Even the city's MoS and MLa's presence does nothing really; Apart from wasting the time of the security forces, by getting an explanation of the situation, and doing nothing with it. They and global leaders did what they can do best...Condemn.
The NSG, RAF, Navy and police appear to be doing all they can. It must be a difficult job to identify among innocent hostages -the bad guys, and take them out. While I will salute their bravery and courage, and patience, it is what they have been trained for. They are doing their JOB. ANY LESS would be unacceptable. It is good news that they have managed to capture one of the terrorists and ascertain their identity.
There is no doubt that Bombay is playing host to a deadly situation, but certainly a lot is left to be desired for. I would like to convey my condolences to all those people who have lost dear ones in this battle, hope that the hostages return unharmed, and the perpetrators are massacred unceremoniously in public.
Just a rant about today's Science in India
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So today I read an article about the state of Science in India written by
Prof. G. R. Desiraju, a professor of chemistry from IISc. Here is the
article.
T...
12 years ago
18 comments:
Absolutely accurate assessment and very well written indeed. The sense of pathos is evident and the personal sense of loss comes through quite effectively.
Especially true are the comments on the contrasts between our own news channels and the foreign ones; while our chaps are raucous and hysterical and tend to repeat ad nauseum, one single line or word of news the foreign ones are sober, measured, professional and analytical. Our chaps unfortunately even today after so many years in the business cannot shake away the tendency to sound like hyper excited school children witnessing their first sensational event. One yearns to see some kind of professionalism in their news handling and reporting, and also their nauseating urge to run after the witless politicians we have and report their inanities like gospel while real news goes unreported. You cannot agree more with the comment that our news folk ask the stupidest of questions in the most earnest manner.
The point is well made that the overseas reports that this is an attack on the American and British citizens because if that was so it would not explain the attacks on VT station and the Cama hospital and attacks in far flung suburbs where these foreign nationals are unlikely to converge.
The other spot-on comment is on the total absence of political parties that allegedly work towards defending their city against the invasion of fellow nationals from States than Maharashtra and damage their property and attack the poor defenseless chaps who come to this city in search of livelihood. When the city is actually being attacked by real outsiders and is being held to ransom and is being terrorised, these "locals" are nowhere to be found; how come no one is around from their vast hordes to help when it is most needed? Not one of their loud rabble rousing "leaders" finds it possible to come out and exhort their followers to aid hostages, donate blood, do all that is possible to comfort the terrorised populace? What is this, cowardice? For shame!
The author's personal sense of loss is touchingly conveyed and will be shared by several readers... the sentiment is easy to identify with when he writes "I have found that as soon as you put a face and name to any one among the hundred anonymous victims, a deep sense of sadness fills me".
NN
This is a very well written article and reflects a lot of sensitivity towards the mindlessness of this attack.
Many sights shown on the TV today evoke a lot of sadness. The ATS chief getting into his bullet proof gear a few min before he was shot dead, smoke and fire from the Taj Mahal hotel and a pained Ratan Tata are images that will forever remain etched in memory.
You are absolutely right when you compare our reporting to the international ones. I think part of the problem is the desperate need to sound intelligent because as of an image of journalists that they want to live upto, the other part of the problem is that they actually do not know what to ask...its a competence issue.
The attack on Westerners idea is slowly dying out I think as the world channels are realising that the largest number of causalities are Indian nationals.
The self proclaimed protectors of Mumbai should have come out with the same ferocity as they did weeks earlier and joined the forces fighting the terrorists on the scene. But I guess there is a lot of truth in the saying.. 'when the going gets tough (only) the tough get going'... These people cant even claim to have the DNA to be tough. They are local bullies.. nothing more, nothing less.
The people who really should be saluted are our defence forces and our police who have been on the front line facing this situation bravely especially in the absence of their leaders.
The line 'I have found that as soon as you put a face and name to any one among the hundred anonymous victims, a deep sense of sadness fills me", is probably one of the most moving ones I have read in recent times.
My heart goes out for the families of the victims and hope with all my heart that these terrorists who hold the world to ransom are eliminated without mercy.
Well written. I too have similar feelings as you have expressed. The pictures of the TAJ HOTEL burning and the attack on people are saddening.Your sentiment , in the sentence about putting a face to an anonymous nameis very true and touching.Many may feel the same. Let us hope that this terrorism ends and the world becomes a safe place to live in.
CNN
This very saddening event has been documented well.
The local media has been subjected to scathing criticism, from the author as well as the other commentators. I do share the irritation, but compared to the coverage of so many other such incidents in the recent past, i think this time round, the local media had matured or was trying to drive that perception home. Be it the lack of usage of cliches like the SPIRIT OF BOMBAY LIVES, or the repeated statements of intent to support the operation by turning of the camera lights and exhorting bystanders to move back and telecasting sensitive footage after a half hour delay. Of course im talking about the english channels, as the hindi ones dont even qualify for a comment. But definitely compared to more established news broadcasters, it was still below par if not amateurish. I think, the Indian media would have been better off had entrepreneurship in their line of work not been promoted, that way the best of the lot would have been covering such situations with the common interest of bringing news rather than diverting attention to who has got the bigger scoop!
The next point raised was that of the role of the politicos of the city. I suppose, abstention from involvement was their greatest service to the forces battling the enemy today! Even the PM and most ministers decided not to 'grace' ground zero. In that respect the average mumbaikar or indian for that matter are human enough to help. Another surprising yet laudable thing was the opposition not doing what its name suggests, and instead expressing solidarity with the government.
I suppose, the politicians also are maturing with every passing terrorist strike!! (dint mean it so matter-of-fact-ly!)
I couldnt agree more with the reiteration in the end about the JOB that the security forces are doing. Nothing less would be acceptable but everything they do ought to be appreciated too. Its not the easiest of 'JOB's you know!
The death of those perfect strangers moved us all indeed, and the sadness is profound even now, when i think about it. But that is another aspect of the local media. The heroic tales of these martyrs detailed in the company of grim music, telecast every now and then, aids in stirring our conscience and making us relate with these strangers and their very real tragedies. So the media ought to realise the power they wield, and also the responsibility this power bestows on it.
Good work Nicks....keep it going!
JJB
Excellent coverage of the whole issue. U just echoed my curiosity on the absence of the rioting activists during this curfew.. there is definitely a lot those hypocritic assholes could've done.. Its a sad state of affairs.. Post 9/11 there hasn't been a single incident of terrorist activity in the US.. that's how strenghthened their security is.. but here.. the journalists n politicians would just keep ranting on about the undying spirit of the people after so much chaos, destruction & bloodshed..that's the best they can do.. i'd say forget the terrorists.. shoot the politicians in the head.. anyways.. i could keep talking about that.. but u summed it all up really well..
You are spot on about the turn of events of the last two days.A tragedy that is at best unmeasurable and for most part, senseless.Like you have rightly said all acts of indiscriminate violence are often pointless.
And unfortunately,this is something that will make headlines and will soon be glossed over and forgotten in a couple of days.And will make way for better selling "sensational" news. The one thing that I failed to understand is the stress that each channel made whilst showing the footages , about how they were the first to air the "Exclusive" coverage on the event.Did it really matter? It is indeed a pity that it is made out to be a competition of sorts on journalism and reporting amongst a bunch of news channels whose level of professionalism leaves a lot to be desired.
You have rightly pointed out the apathy of the bigots who make Mumbai out to be 'theirs'. Not a voice heard or an act of courage or kindness seen.
And I would like to add that the rhetoric " Mumbai is resilient" is an insult to the mumbaikar. Mumbai is now resigned to callousness of the people who rule to satisfy themselves with scant regard to the safety and sentiments of the people who have made this city what it is.
The author's sense of loss is touching and honestly conveyed.A sentiment that will indeed be shared by many...
well written....
hoping that this situation ends today!
Very well written dude.you kinda subtly highlighted the fact that the Indian media does have this tendency to be repititive in its news,especially when reporting a high profile incident like tis one.jus goes to show how BBC,CNN were better at distributing the information.mus have seen the same clips repeated over nd over nd over again.credits to the reporters no doubt for their work-ethics nd being at the locations all the time.
Also you were spot on bout the feeling of grief on the loss of some top cops.had watched d ATS chief put on the protective gear on the 26th nite..nd was shell-shocked to hear bout him in the morning.him nd d oder 2(d encounter specialist nd another top cop) dese are our real heroes.not some bunch of tv/film stars who live on their staged gimmicks.
"May Heaven hold the Faithful Departed"
Jus hopin that the city of Mumbai will rise from tis tragedy with the spirit that it has shown time nd again.Jai Hind.Jai Maharashtra.
very well written.. The statement
"I have found that as soon as you put a face and name to any one among the hundred anonymous victims, a deep sense of sadness fills me" is indeed very true.I share the same sentiment.The remarkable difference between the news channels was very evedent. Found that the reporters from some english channels spoke more sense while others were merely repititive. For the purpose of avoiding rumors, police have instructed many cable operators to cutoff broadcasting of news channels...But i personally feel that this fails to serve the purpose. Cause people assume that some terrible thing must have happened for them to cutoff news channels. This will only increase rumors.I hope we are kept well updated and also pray that all this ends soon.
Absolutely true. The thoughts expressed would I am sure be going through the minds of hundreds of people. The terrorists have been meddling with this city for too long and this has been the ultimate.
Seeing the chaos,the messy situation and the horrific sights on TV, I wondered - what's it from here on? Seeing the lunatics/insensitive creatures take over our city, its structures and play havoc was so saddening. Seeing the Taj go up in flames was unbelievable! I could've cried.
Seeing senior police officers die was so sad. So many deaths, so many sad stories, so many losses of lives - I felt so helpless, sad and angry just sitting and watching the scenes on TV.
Someone rightly said here. After the 9/11, there has been no attacks in the US. Look at us. Repeated attacks, loss of innocent lives, disgusting speeches from politicians, same kind of media coverage, and everything forgotten in a couple of days. AND the 'spirit' of Mumbai and Mumbaikar well appreciated!! Wow! Great.
But what have the politicians done ? Has any introspection been done, NO. Have Heads been put together to find out ways to counter such attacks in future, NO.('cause if they would've then we would'nt have such acts of terrorism repeatedly, the intensity worsening each time). But how could they look into these things. They are too busy worrying about the most insignificant, irrelevant issues, until another tragedy strikes and the whole exercise begins. The sight of politicians making tailor-made, hollow statements, their expressionless faces .. Oh! how I wished I could go up to them and tell them to SHUT UP. So much of time, money and manpower wasted on worthless politicians for providing them all kinds of security from A to Z. Why not put these resources to a different use for the betterment of the country, the state and the city.
Meanwhile, I cannot get this thought out of my mind - remember the 'marathi manoos' propoganda. Where are they now? No one stopped a non Maharashtrian officer of the Army, the Navy or the NSG from risking his life and doing his job to save Mumbai. We all need to be together to fight terrorism. I hope those involved in the propoganda realise this soon enough.
TV viewing in the last couple of days has left me feeling so sad and at the same time so angry. How can we allow some ruthless guys come and make our lives miserable. But I also don't know what to do.
All relevant issues covered so well in this article. It has stirred my emotions, see.
Prabha
good job bro...
When i first heard of this i was in Pune, now i am in Mumbai....
My blood is still boiling.
Where indeed are the MNS and Sena... I can understand their inaction, they were always cowards, but this time the Dog isn't barking either.
So when "their" state is under "attack" from "North-Indians" they will fight and kill innocents but when somebody from outside comes in with guns blazing what fantastic pin-drop silence!!!
Beautiful, amazing and most commendable, finally u bas****s confess!!! Thank you...
From what dad told me TimesNow gave better coverage and the rest all sucked apparently.
The Black Cats did do a good job, and besides from counter strike i know that terrorists are always at an advantage especially in hostage situations, they bloody camp!!
And what to say about Politicians!!! I could wax eloquent... the God Damned Vilasrao Deshmukh took his actor son ritesh and director friend Ram Gopal Verma on an official tour of the ravaged Taj!!! May i please f***ing ask WHY???
And as someone already said the phrase "Spirit of Mumbai" is an insult to every mumbaikar and is starting to get to me now... yeah Mumbai bounces right back, we move on the spirit is indomitable, do we have any other choice??? a mumbaikar just cannot sit back come what may, we drown, are driven away, are blasted to smithereens in trains, are shot at randomly and yet every mumbaikar who can, goes to work, cause there is no other choice. Politicians will exploit even this helplessness and label it as spirit.
Anyways, nicely written man... (and yeah nice to have u back buddy... was missing ur blogs!!)
very well written!!!
and about the ats cheif ...saw him the night before on tv...and was shocked to hear abt the top officials the next day...as u said "as soon as you put a face and name to any one among the hundred anonymous victims, a deep sense of sadness fills me"...felt the same..even when i was watching the account of the victims who survived but their relatives didnt..
guess people will start thinking twice before going to any mall or restaurant...sadly the terrorists have been succesful..guess no place is safe in bombay any more...
as u said "as soon as you put a face and name to any one among the hundred anonymous victims, a deep sense of sadness fills me"
after reading your blog i must have repeated this sentence N number of times ... and it is so true and very well put in ur blog...
there were a few news channels that "sensationalized" the whole event ....which we could definitely have done without...but a few news channels were genuine yet repetitive for understandable reasons like they were not allowed to telecast live footage or give out information of commando movements instantly...but the fact that they were genuine is worth appreciating...
its good that our political parties dint interfere then....its like the best thing they have done this decade...although a few days later they are showing their true colours by pointing all five fingers at each other...but atleast on the day of action they were in support of the governments actions..(with a few exceptions)
anyways....i would not like my comment to run into a blog...
NIX article is definitely worth a read and i would really to forward it to as many people as i can...
GO niX
Nicely written account of the turn of events on the day and about every aspect that a common man can think about. From media reactions to political failure and most importantly the anger and sense of loss.
As is evident after days of this incident, the leaders governing this state not only lack a strong political will but are also mindless and incompetent. Some comments by our very own state home minister and CM were ridiculously funny and insensitive.
Taking radical measures is far from their heads. Whatever were taken at a point of time (like a rapid action force for mumbai which can quickly tackle such situations), no longer exist.
The opposition parties, as rightly pointed out, busy in their senseless agendas become 'nowhere to be seen' street fighters, running away when something 'bigger' falls on their lap. What good do they want of the state? They claim to be the protectors of this land's culture and people. Where is the will to tackle such situations? Revolutionaries, are they, huh?
The media needs to be channelized by the security forces in these situations. Immature media reactions are a direct result of letting them dig too deep into the scenario. As rightly pointed out by an Israeli journalist, the area needs to be sealed immediately and only a representative of the forces should be the communication link for the media. As said in the article, competitive media sources would still gain by telling people about safety measures to be taken or giving relevant information from other sources like the internet.
After so many hours into the operation local wireless frequency networks other than the ones used by the forces can be cut off, to disallow possibility of communication between the miscreants.
Cynicism in the article clearly shows failure in all these aspects and also of a hopeless situation existing till SINCERE steps are taken towards security of each and every citizen of this country. The life of an individual seems to have become too inconsequential. The absolute downfall of the current system suggests a major change, may be the enforcement of military rule in the state or mumbai, although temporary, but a possible solution.
wont say much..coz u already know...u echoed my thoughts in each n every word...
as for the "Spirit of Bombay (not Mumbai) " - its nothing but the need to earn a livelihood its not resilience...we r ordinary citizens..not at all brave...if had a fortune in my bank account i wud stay in the safety n comfort of my home all day without stepping out into crowded areas were theres always a danger of being blown up my some fanatic
damn-no-name.blogspot.com is very informative. The article is very professionally written. I enjoy reading damn-no-name.blogspot.com every day.
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