Adil Najam
I, too, am a Mumbaikar today.
I wish I could reach out and for just one moment hold the hands of the woman in this AP photograph. Maybe shed some tears on her shoulder. But I do not know what I would say to her. I do not think she would want me to say much. The expression on her face matches the feeling I have at the pit of my stomach and in the depth of my heart. I think - I hope - that she would understand how I feel. I can only imagine what she is going through.
And so, in prayer and in solidarity, I stand today with Mumbaikars everywhere. In shock at what has happened. In fear of what might happen yet. In anger at those who would be so calculated in their inhuman massacre. In sympathy with those whose pain so hurts my own heart but whose tears I cannot touch, whose wounds I cannot heal, and whose grief I cannot relieve.
The solidarity I feel with Mumbaikars is deep and personal.
The first time I ever visited the Taj Mahal Hotel was with my wife. We had been married just weeks and were not staying at the Taj but went to the historic “Sea Lounge” at the hotel for tea and snacks during a short visit to Mumbai. We went to the Oberoi Hotel the same visit in the naive and mistaken belief that we would find Bollywood bigwigs hanging out there. In later years I would come back and stay at the old wing of the Taj - down the corridor from where Ruttie Bai Jinnah and stayed - I would even present in the grand ballroom whose pillars, supposedly, had been brought from her father’s estate. Each time I passed through Victoria Terminus I stood in awe of the pace as well as its presence. In awe of the architectural structure, but also of the sea of humanity around me. I cannot hear of terrorists attacking these places without my own muscles twitching in anger.
But my feeling of solidarity with Mumbaikars is much much more personal than these few fleeting visits over many years. Deeply etched into me are the horrific echoes of 9/11 in New York and the string of terrorist attacks on Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar and all over Pakistan whose reports have become all too familiar - but never bearable - on this blog. I know what living with terror feels like. I have thought too much and too deeply about what it feels like to be the target of violence propelled by hatred. I know the pain of helplessness one feels as one stands stunned in grief, wanting so desperately to do something - anything - but not knowing what to do. This is why I identify with the expression on the face of the woman in this picture. This is why, like so many others in the world, today I too am a Mumbaikar.
This is why I stand with Mumbaikars everywhere, in prayer and in solidarity. At a loss for words but with an urge to speak out. My words of condemnation will not change the actions of those who have committed such heinous murder and mayhem. Nor will my words of sympathy diminish the agony of the victims. But speak out I must. In condemnation as well as in sympathy. To speak against the inhumanity of hatred and violence. To speak for the humanity in all of us that we all must hold on to; especially in the testing moments of grave stress.
But, today, I have no words of analysis. What words can make sense of the patently senseless? I do not know who did this. Nor can I imagine any cause that would justify this. But this I know: No matter who did this, no matter why, the terror that has been wrought in Mumbai is vile and inhuman and unjustifiable. And, for the sake of our own humanness, we must speak out against it.
And, so, to any Mumbaikar who might be listening, I say: “I stand with you today. In prayer and in solidarity.”
Most people in the two countries want to be left alone to live in peace.
Why are the moderate majority in the two countries so utterly ineffective and unable to navigate their destinies? I guess, it is because the majority is indifferent to the moral abyss that the two nations have fallen into. They are forced to make compromises to deal with the harsh realities of life on a daily basis. It is the same majority that chooses the worst among us as our leaders and the cycle perpetuates.
Unless and until there is a grass root effort to get out of this rut, such violence will continue. The will of a people is the most effective weapon. Where is that will?
@ Tariq Sayeed Khan. Then you agree with me. I am glad. The original question was to provide motive for the attacks.
You have proved that the motive has been given and is working.
Adil ji,
thanks for your kind words. When I first saw the news on tv channels the very first word that came to my mind was ” Marriott Hotel”. The tragedy was similar, only the place had changed.
A few points and requests to our Pakistani friends:
1. Please do NOT believes what the our TV channels are saying about Pakistan in relation to Mumbai terror attacks. Believe ONLY what the official , named sources say and are shown saying it on camera and read the full text. TV channels are looking at TRPs and saying whatever they can conceive/ imagine/ conclude. I am a Mumbaiite and I can recount hundreds of rumors that have been reported as “news” in the past 5 days. One example was “breaking news” on Friday afternoon reporting that there has been fresh firing on 4-5 spots in Mumbai. The tv channels named a hospital, railway station, some other places and senior anchors went berserk yelling how bad the situation was and how it was utter failure of intelligence agencies. It’s another matter that within 5 minutes it was clear that nothing of the sort had happened. Let me tell you, those 5 minutes were more horrible than the real attack.
2. Indian government’s official statements are different than what TV channels are reporting them to be. Example: the very first public statement by our foreign minister Mr. Pranav Mukherjee. TV channels quoted him saying ” Pak involved in Mumbai attacks.” What I saw on their screen and heard from Mr. Mukherjee’s mouth was -” some elements in Pakistan are using the Pakistani territory for anti- India activities and Pakistan should fulfill its promise of stopping them.” He repeated these words many times, that Pakistan should fulfill its promise. NEVER saying that “Pakistan” was involved.
3. There were some reports in media that India is mobilizing its force along the Pakistani border. Duly denied by defense ministry and the Foreign Minister.
4. On Saturday, after the operations were over, one tv reporter showed footage of the crowd gathered at the Taj, talked to them and uttered these words-” There could have been shouts of Pakistan Hai- Hai, but people are instead shouting ” Politicians Hai- Hai.” This is the reality. When the security operations were over, people in Mumbai were baying for politician’s blood. They still are. One popular sms doing the rounds is ” those terrorists came by boat, what about those who come by vote.” People have said on camera that they are not bothered where the terrorists came from, they want an answer why the politicians failed to protect us.
5. This evening, Mumbai’s police commissioner said in a press conference . ” There is no evidence so far about Pakistan’s involvement in Mumbai attacks.” He gave the information that yes, the terrorist had come from Karachi and one of the terrorists who has been caught alive seems to be Pakistani citizen. The exact words of our Police commissioner were -”. He is saying that he is from Pakistan, but we need to establish it.” Very careful words, never making assumptions, never saying that Pakistan was involved. But the tv channels flashed- Terrorist came from Karachi’’- rest is left for imagination or putting two and two together. Half truth, more dangerous than blatant lie.
6. Please, Please do NOT take the verbal diarrhea of failed tv anchors as the official version of Indian government or as the true represntaion of common Indian people. Yes, their are some voices against Pakistan which is but natural given the histroy of our relations. But, the bigger and stronger voice is asking for politicians’ heads. Two such incompetent politicians ahve paid the price, we the people of India are waiting for many more to go.
7. I did not go thourgh the comments beacuse my heart is bleeding and I know there will be many views about Mumbai terror attacks. Like other Mumbaikars i have not been able to sleep properly since that night and some of my thoughts have been of going and commiting suicide on the same spot where our beloved ATS chief and some other police officers were killed. Becasue I cannot bear to think that I, as a Mumbaiite could not protect those who were protecting my city and my counrty. And I want to kill all those politicians with my bare hands who are now roaming around free, under commando protection, making filthy comments of those who died.
8. Like the majority of my fellow countrymen, I do not want a war with Pakistan. Simply because I do not want any other soldier to sacrifice his life for the so called elected representatives- who have sold their corrupt souls to the devil. I would happily vote for a war with Pakistan, or Burkina Faso or any other country if these politicians are sent to fight.
I hope I have not said anything which might offend anybody. If I have then my apologies. God bless our countries.
The root causes must be addressed to achieve a true end to violence.
“A Jihad Grows in Kashmir” http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/opinion/27mishra .html?n=Top/News/World/Countries%20and%20Territori es/Kashmir
Thank you Adil Nijam for your kind words.
I am from india and I can’t stop hating pakistanis for doing
such a thing in mumbai. I am not against all pakistanis but
there are some elements in your country who want to destroy us because we have a large hindu population.
I only pray god that wisdom prevail with the Pak govt and
they help us in stoping these elements from doing what they have done.
GOD BLESS PAKISTAN
coincidentally the only guy pictured at 3 different locations is the one also caputred and is now singing like a canary.
Was supposedly well armed with explosives so why didnt he blow himself up when captured and surrounded by a lynch mob..he was there to kill people wasnt he..?
a well trained hardened criminal on a near suicide mission being captured after a blockade and gunshot to the hand…
conincidences…reminds me of 9/11….
wag the dog..
Let’s hope da Indian people really understand what terrorism means now…the same terrorism is practised by da Indian army in da Occupied Kashmir…hundreds ov innocents have been killed there by da Indian security forces…bt there was no international outcry…..nd da killing ov 195 ppl in mumbai has sparked so much….
Discrimination in India is at its peak….
@Rama
Yes you are right. He is an extraordinary man, and if everyone shared his philosophy of peace than we probably would have the menace of terrorism amongst us. My comment was aimed at Mr Najam (who is conspicuously absent from all this discussion) and that too at only one sentence out of his whole article (to which i agree, any loss of human life anywhere to unnatural causes is tragic). I condemn this attack with all my heart and soul.
@ Satish’s post on December 1st, 2008 10:05 am
No I will not think about it. Because if i do, then all sorts of others thoughts will come into my head. And I don’t want that. I want peace and harmony. I want the bloodshed to end.
@S.Bones post on December 1st, 2008 7:34 pm
I did not want to, but you have forced me to respond with emotion and not reason.
“Understand this, the main motives are to:
1) unify the people of Pakistan if there is military aggression by India”
3) If there is a military response from India then the Jehadi elements in Pakistan (taliban, etc) will profess support for the Army, ISI and possibly even the Civilian government.”
Pakistan or Pakistanis don’t need a motive to unite against military aggression from India. If there is aggression, all differences will be set aside and the people will unite. As I write these lines, the Tehreek-e-Taliban has announced that it can shift a million fighters to the eastern border.
“2) Have an excuse to turn away from the US ‘war on Terror’ as Pakistan was only pretending to be interested in that front.”
There is no pretend my friend. Although not everyone supports the war, there is no pretend. If there was pretend, then more than a thousand brave Pakistani soldiers would not have lost their lives.
“4) The non Democratic elements in Pakistan want to return to the “old ways” of the common and unifying (Imaginary) enemy of India and the Military industrial complex of Pakistan.”
Maybe, but that is definately not the majority thought.
Pakistan’s only hope is the majority of its people stand by its elected government and root out the rest. I know India will do what it can to get the Pakistani Government to act genuinely against the disease of its own creation. This has to be achieved without undermining the Pakistani Government.”
The majority of the people (sadly) do stand by this government, otherwise it would not have come into power.
Today’s news is that Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has said that initial investigation has revealed that Pakistan was not involved in the Mumabi attacks. Link provided below.
(http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=200 8\122\story_2-12-2008_pg1_3)
I think the blame game should stop. Its gone on long enough.
Give me evidence. If a cell phone/satellite phone was receovered with calls made to a Karachi number, then give us the number. We will investigate. (Although if it is a cell phone number, then chances are that it won’t lead anywhere). If the terroists were trained here, tell us where exactly and we will close that place down and take the perpetrators to task. You know who trained them, then give us the name. We will find him and bring him to justice. But… and this is a big but. All this will be futile, even if done, because no matter how many times you treat a desease it will always keep coming back unless you go to the root of the problem.
I hope no one reading this post is naive enough to not realise what the root cause of all this terrorism (not just in India or Pakistan, but all over the world) is.
Peace Out.