Scarred nation moves on 10 years after 26/11
Apart from symbolic memorials, there is barely evidence of public emotion over those harrowing 60 hours
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Ten years after the dastardly Mumbai terror attacks, memories of the bloody mayhem seem to have faded in people’s minds like some horrible nightmare — but for survivors and families of victims the day still evokes dread.
Except for symbolic memorial services all over the city planned by VVIPs for photoops and the mandatory media coverage, there is barely any evidence of public emotion over those harrowing 60 hours which shook the nation’s soul.
Ten heavily-armed terrorists, sneaking in through the Arabian Sea, attacked multiple locations within a small geographical area, killing 166 persons — including Indian security personnel and 26 foreign nationals — and left another 300 injured, besides inflicting huge damage to public and private properties.
The toll on the nation’s collective social-political psyche was higher, but the scars have apparently healed.
“Whatever happened was very sad for the country. We remember the victims… But, all have moved ahead in life and think of a bright future,” said Rakesh Upadhyay, director at an ayurvedic pharmaceutical company.
He was among the millions worldwide who remained glued to the television during the November 26-28, 2008, terror attacks and watched the real-life drama live — and it unfolded like some unbelievable Hollywood disaster film.
“It was a massive national tragedy, we still feel bad about what happened, especially ■ for the innocent victims. Now, it feels like a bad dream. Everyone is busy tackling major problems of daily life,” shrugged a middle-class housewife, Minakshi Baikar.
Minakshi Baikar | Housewife
Still grieving
However, Sharda Bhosale, 60-year-old widow of martyred policeman Balasaheb Bhosale (he was in the team that helped nab Kasab at Chowpatty) has yet to come to terms with his death, her son, traffic policeman Deepak Bhosale, said.
“Each year, on November 26, she invariably falls ill over my father’s painful death and his memory ... She remains like that for at least 5-6 days. The entire family shudders every time the calendar changes to November,” Deepak told IANS.
As the day looms closer, dark memories of the attacks flicker alive, reminding people of how the extremists unobtrusively entered Mumbai to execute their sinister plans on a cold evening.
With the experience of 26/11 as a grim lesson, security was boosted on all fronts — terrestrial, coastal and maritime — and the outcome is that Mumbai is scarred but safer.