 "Five years on, are we better prepared?")
Kashiram Koli, 65, is a worried man. On the night of November 26, five years ago, 10 cold-blooded gunmen had entered the city through the fishermen's colony in Cuffe Parade, where Koli spent most of his life. Their attacks on sites ranging from a bustling railway station to an exclusive hotel continued for three days and resulted in the death of 166 people.
Today, the deployment of security personnel in and around the colony doesn't inspire enough confidence. "Those 60 hours (the time it took to counter the attack) should have been enough to learn lessons. Authorities have taken some steps, but more needs to be done," says Koli. "To deal with such incidents, the partnership between Mumbaikars, security agencies and the administration has to be strengthened."
The prolonged, war-like assault came as a shock to the Maharashtra police. The government was forced to rework its anti-terror strategy and outline plans to upgrade security measures. The Ram Pradhan-led committee analysed how far existing procedures, instruments and administrative culture were to be blamed for what were perceived as lapses.
To deal with such attacks, the government has taken a slew of functional and structural measures. As suggested by the Ram Pradhan panel, intelligence-sharing and coordination have been stepped up among various agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau, army intelligence, coast guard, state intelligence and the crime branch. "Accountability was fixed whereby the principal secretary (internal security) will have to weigh the importance of inputs received and communicate with respective heads for further action. Besides, a weekly meeting of all agencies to review and suggest measures was started at the level of home secretary. Those failing in their duties face departmental inquiries," says Amitabh Rajan, additional chief secretary (home), Maharashtra. (THE FALLOUT)
Simultaneously, Force One, a group of elite commandos, was established, in addition to the anti-terrorist squad (ATS). A hub for the National Security Guard (NSG) was created within the city. In Nagpur, the government set up an unconventional operations training institute, where senior army and paramilitary officers give advanced training to police personnel.
To strengthen on-ground communications and dispel apprehensions, the ATS and local police meet members of the minority community on a regular basis. Anti-terror cells have been created in all districts and commissionerates, and the government has made a strong case for the establishment of a National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) to strengthen counter-terrorism capabilities.
Rajvardhan Sinha, additional commissioner of police (economic offences wing), who helped engage terrorists at the Taj Mahal Palace, says though the force is much better-equipped than in 2008, there is scope for improvement. "New technologies are coming and these are helping not only the police, but also terrorists who can use these for new ways to terrorise." To address the technology innovations gap through an interdisciplinary approach on applied research, the government has proposed to set up a Centre for Excellence in Internal Security, in partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay.
A police officer keeping vigil at the city's iconic hotels points to the positive impact of these changes through the past five years. "There is no doubt in my mind that Mumbai is somewhat safer. Suspects have been apprehended and attempts were foiled due to effective coordination among different agencies," he says. In the last five years, as many as 142 inputs were received by the Intelligence Bureau and at least six terror attempts were foiled.
Experts say the state government should be doing more. R D Tyagi, former director-general of NSG and ex-Mumbai police commissioner, points to several lacunae. "Efforts on behalf of the state government, especially in the form of providing additional manpower, patrolling boats and specialised equipment, are totally lagging. Except for lip service, they have done hardly anything," he says.
Differences among the ruling Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party have delayed the recruitment of 62,143 police personnel, scheduled to have been carried out in five years. The plan to install 6,000 CCTV cameras, announced soon after 26/11, is still on paper. Two attempts to implement the move have failed. Fresh proposals, with relaxed tender norms, were invited last week.
Though the government has increased the financial allocation for the modernisation of the police force (procurement of state-of-the-art weapons and vehicles), former state director-general police Ajit Parasnis says the system of procuring arms is time-consuming and should be simplified. "Instead of relying on imports, we have to focus on indigenous arms and weapons," he suggests.
Rajan admits the government needs to do more on coastal security, though 19 coastal police stations have been established and more than 1,000 police personnel trained. "There is an issue of keeping a watch on ships and their illegal movement. The state government has suggested the enactment of a coastal security Act to bring about uniformity to enforce registration of all vessels and define roles and responsibilities of different agencies. Besides, the government has proposed a marine training institute," he says. According to RTI findings by activist Chetan Kothari, through the last 10 years, the central government has financed the purchase of just 28 speedboats, while the local marine police bought an additional 29 boats since 2008.
"In five years, preparations have been done, but challenges have multiplied," Rajan concludes.
'My life has changed forever'
Five years is a long time, but it seems like yesterday that we were being taken up a flight of steps by two faceless gun-toting terrorists on the fateful night of 26/11/2008. In the chaos and commotion I slipped through a fire exit; the terrorist saw me, I looked into his burning red eyes, and the door shut. Luckily, he did not follow me, and I survived but lost my husband, who was among the many people who were shot dead point blank. My husband and I had taken our friends who had come from Singapore for dinner to the Kandhar at the Oberoi, Nariman Point, on that unfortunate night.
It will be an understatement to say that my life had changed forever. I was shocked and stunned at the sudden loss of my husband. My deep pain and anger and the mix of feelings of what if and why didn't I act differently at our last moment together were there for a long time. My ability to cope was critically injured, and functioning seriously impaired. Getting from where I was to a point of resolution about my loss took a great deal of hard work and determination.
The most important thing was to break the cycle of resentment towards the tragedy. I couldn't change the past but I could change my future. I started to forgive; this was a long and difficult process - a process that I am still going through today. It did not happen overnight, but even the tiniest shift towards forgiveness has brought miraculous results.
I've experienced a unique situation that has taught me a surprising lesson - ability to choose love over hate, understanding over anger and belief over fear.
It was the help, support, understanding and sacrifices of friends and family that helped me through this period of unbearable pain and grief. My grandchildren have had a big role in occupying my time.
Today, I still have flashbacks, but they are of the day when I got married and the umpteen number of happy years Ashok and I lived together.
'I could not sleep for two whole days'
Having got the day's work out of his way, Felix Ambrose settled down for a routine drink, on an old scooter parked outside Al Amin Communication Centre, Colaba. A swig later, a sound, he had last heard when he worked in the Persian Gulf in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm, ripped through the area. Hand grenades. The tour operator quickly ducked and rushed into the Al Amin office, asked that the lights be switched off and warned customers, many of whom were tourists, to stay quiet. Through the store's glass windows, they could see two men with AK-47s firing indiscriminately inside Leopold Cafe, the famed watering hole just opposite Al Amin.
The gunmen came out of the back door and continued to fire at the people on the street that led to the Taj. Waiters and a local shopkeeper, whom Ambrose had known for years, dropped dead outside. A police constable who was pointing a rifle at the terrorists was also shot down. The floor of the cafe was strewn with blood and bullets. Horrified and confused, owners Farzad and Farhang Jehani climbed down from the first floor of the cafe where they had been watching cricket with some guests. "Everything took place within two-three minutes," says Farzad. The injured were rushed to hospital in cars and taxis.
As Ambrose prepared to leave for the police station to offer help, someone informed him that another girl (Anamika Gupta) was found lying badly hurt. "She could not speak, but showed me three bullet injuries on her stomach." In the cab heading to St George's hospital, he slapped Anamika to keep her from falling unconscious. Despite the chaos in the hospital, a helpful ward boy made sure she was taken in for surgery. Back in Colaba, past midnight, Ambrose and other locals patrolled the streets and controlled the crowds until the morning. "I could not sleep for two whole days."
Ambrose is a samaritan. "I had rescued some of those injured in the '93 blasts at the BSE, and also saved one woman in a train accident," he says. "My mother used to help people, and I do whatever is in my capacity. I cannot see people in trouble." In all his years in Mumbai, Ambrose had never seen an attack of this kind and tries not to think of that night anymore. "You have to get out of it."
While continuing to pay salaries to the slain waiters' families, the Jehanis are trying to move past the incident. "I'm done with interviews now. It's a horrible feeling to remember it," says Farzad, standing near the cafe's back door, through which the terrorists had exited that night. The brothers re-opened Leopold four days after the attacks with the message 'we won, you lost'. Farzad had told his staff they would be working longer hours so that they would get tired, sleep and leave the nightmare behind. "I also told them that (my brother and myself) will stay in front to give them courage," the burly man recollects. "So, if something happens, we're always here."
Today, the deployment of security personnel in and around the colony doesn't inspire enough confidence. "Those 60 hours (the time it took to counter the attack) should have been enough to learn lessons. Authorities have taken some steps, but more needs to be done," says Koli. "To deal with such incidents, the partnership between Mumbaikars, security agencies and the administration has to be strengthened."
The prolonged, war-like assault came as a shock to the Maharashtra police. The government was forced to rework its anti-terror strategy and outline plans to upgrade security measures. The Ram Pradhan-led committee analysed how far existing procedures, instruments and administrative culture were to be blamed for what were perceived as lapses.
To deal with such attacks, the government has taken a slew of functional and structural measures. As suggested by the Ram Pradhan panel, intelligence-sharing and coordination have been stepped up among various agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau, army intelligence, coast guard, state intelligence and the crime branch. "Accountability was fixed whereby the principal secretary (internal security) will have to weigh the importance of inputs received and communicate with respective heads for further action. Besides, a weekly meeting of all agencies to review and suggest measures was started at the level of home secretary. Those failing in their duties face departmental inquiries," says Amitabh Rajan, additional chief secretary (home), Maharashtra. (THE FALLOUT)
Simultaneously, Force One, a group of elite commandos, was established, in addition to the anti-terrorist squad (ATS). A hub for the National Security Guard (NSG) was created within the city. In Nagpur, the government set up an unconventional operations training institute, where senior army and paramilitary officers give advanced training to police personnel.
To strengthen on-ground communications and dispel apprehensions, the ATS and local police meet members of the minority community on a regular basis. Anti-terror cells have been created in all districts and commissionerates, and the government has made a strong case for the establishment of a National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) to strengthen counter-terrorism capabilities.
Rajvardhan Sinha, additional commissioner of police (economic offences wing), who helped engage terrorists at the Taj Mahal Palace, says though the force is much better-equipped than in 2008, there is scope for improvement. "New technologies are coming and these are helping not only the police, but also terrorists who can use these for new ways to terrorise." To address the technology innovations gap through an interdisciplinary approach on applied research, the government has proposed to set up a Centre for Excellence in Internal Security, in partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay.
A police officer keeping vigil at the city's iconic hotels points to the positive impact of these changes through the past five years. "There is no doubt in my mind that Mumbai is somewhat safer. Suspects have been apprehended and attempts were foiled due to effective coordination among different agencies," he says. In the last five years, as many as 142 inputs were received by the Intelligence Bureau and at least six terror attempts were foiled.
Experts say the state government should be doing more. R D Tyagi, former director-general of NSG and ex-Mumbai police commissioner, points to several lacunae. "Efforts on behalf of the state government, especially in the form of providing additional manpower, patrolling boats and specialised equipment, are totally lagging. Except for lip service, they have done hardly anything," he says.
Differences among the ruling Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party have delayed the recruitment of 62,143 police personnel, scheduled to have been carried out in five years. The plan to install 6,000 CCTV cameras, announced soon after 26/11, is still on paper. Two attempts to implement the move have failed. Fresh proposals, with relaxed tender norms, were invited last week.
Though the government has increased the financial allocation for the modernisation of the police force (procurement of state-of-the-art weapons and vehicles), former state director-general police Ajit Parasnis says the system of procuring arms is time-consuming and should be simplified. "Instead of relying on imports, we have to focus on indigenous arms and weapons," he suggests.
Rajan admits the government needs to do more on coastal security, though 19 coastal police stations have been established and more than 1,000 police personnel trained. "There is an issue of keeping a watch on ships and their illegal movement. The state government has suggested the enactment of a coastal security Act to bring about uniformity to enforce registration of all vessels and define roles and responsibilities of different agencies. Besides, the government has proposed a marine training institute," he says. According to RTI findings by activist Chetan Kothari, through the last 10 years, the central government has financed the purchase of just 28 speedboats, while the local marine police bought an additional 29 boats since 2008.
"In five years, preparations have been done, but challenges have multiplied," Rajan concludes.
'My life has changed forever'
Five years is a long time, but it seems like yesterday that we were being taken up a flight of steps by two faceless gun-toting terrorists on the fateful night of 26/11/2008. In the chaos and commotion I slipped through a fire exit; the terrorist saw me, I looked into his burning red eyes, and the door shut. Luckily, he did not follow me, and I survived but lost my husband, who was among the many people who were shot dead point blank. My husband and I had taken our friends who had come from Singapore for dinner to the Kandhar at the Oberoi, Nariman Point, on that unfortunate night.
It will be an understatement to say that my life had changed forever. I was shocked and stunned at the sudden loss of my husband. My deep pain and anger and the mix of feelings of what if and why didn't I act differently at our last moment together were there for a long time. My ability to cope was critically injured, and functioning seriously impaired. Getting from where I was to a point of resolution about my loss took a great deal of hard work and determination.
The most important thing was to break the cycle of resentment towards the tragedy. I couldn't change the past but I could change my future. I started to forgive; this was a long and difficult process - a process that I am still going through today. It did not happen overnight, but even the tiniest shift towards forgiveness has brought miraculous results.
I've experienced a unique situation that has taught me a surprising lesson - ability to choose love over hate, understanding over anger and belief over fear.
It was the help, support, understanding and sacrifices of friends and family that helped me through this period of unbearable pain and grief. My grandchildren have had a big role in occupying my time.
Today, I still have flashbacks, but they are of the day when I got married and the umpteen number of happy years Ashok and I lived together.
Madhu Kapur
Widow of former YES BANK co-founder
Ashok Kapur
Widow of former YES BANK co-founder
Ashok Kapur
'I could not sleep for two whole days'
Having got the day's work out of his way, Felix Ambrose settled down for a routine drink, on an old scooter parked outside Al Amin Communication Centre, Colaba. A swig later, a sound, he had last heard when he worked in the Persian Gulf in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm, ripped through the area. Hand grenades. The tour operator quickly ducked and rushed into the Al Amin office, asked that the lights be switched off and warned customers, many of whom were tourists, to stay quiet. Through the store's glass windows, they could see two men with AK-47s firing indiscriminately inside Leopold Cafe, the famed watering hole just opposite Al Amin.
The gunmen came out of the back door and continued to fire at the people on the street that led to the Taj. Waiters and a local shopkeeper, whom Ambrose had known for years, dropped dead outside. A police constable who was pointing a rifle at the terrorists was also shot down. The floor of the cafe was strewn with blood and bullets. Horrified and confused, owners Farzad and Farhang Jehani climbed down from the first floor of the cafe where they had been watching cricket with some guests. "Everything took place within two-three minutes," says Farzad. The injured were rushed to hospital in cars and taxis.
As Ambrose prepared to leave for the police station to offer help, someone informed him that another girl (Anamika Gupta) was found lying badly hurt. "She could not speak, but showed me three bullet injuries on her stomach." In the cab heading to St George's hospital, he slapped Anamika to keep her from falling unconscious. Despite the chaos in the hospital, a helpful ward boy made sure she was taken in for surgery. Back in Colaba, past midnight, Ambrose and other locals patrolled the streets and controlled the crowds until the morning. "I could not sleep for two whole days."
Ambrose is a samaritan. "I had rescued some of those injured in the '93 blasts at the BSE, and also saved one woman in a train accident," he says. "My mother used to help people, and I do whatever is in my capacity. I cannot see people in trouble." In all his years in Mumbai, Ambrose had never seen an attack of this kind and tries not to think of that night anymore. "You have to get out of it."
While continuing to pay salaries to the slain waiters' families, the Jehanis are trying to move past the incident. "I'm done with interviews now. It's a horrible feeling to remember it," says Farzad, standing near the cafe's back door, through which the terrorists had exited that night. The brothers re-opened Leopold four days after the attacks with the message 'we won, you lost'. Farzad had told his staff they would be working longer hours so that they would get tired, sleep and leave the nightmare behind. "I also told them that (my brother and myself) will stay in front to give them courage," the burly man recollects. "So, if something happens, we're always here."
Farzad Jehani,
Owner of Leopold Cafe & Bar
Owner of Leopold Cafe & Bar
Felix Ambrose,
Tour operator