It’s a day which can never be forgotten, an act which can never be forgiven and above all, an event which will haunt our country forever. November 26 of this year will mark the 10th anniversary of the horrific, inhuman and soul crushing act of cruelty which took lives of nearly 166 people, injuring more than 350 and affecting the collective psyche of our nation or even the world in general.
The world has been struggling with terrorism for decades now. Sometimes it’s the right or the left wing, or sometimes the act is ‘religious’ oriented, but one thing’s clear, that in the long run it brings nothing but pain, grief for lives ended too soon and a void that can’t be filled with anything. Terrorism not only takes away invaluable lives, but also creates an uncertain future for humanity, as people struggle to cope with such gruesome acts in the name of religion.
Mumbai is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, besides being the financial and dream capital of India. There’s no stopping this city as people relentlessly chase their dreams all day, no matter what time of the day it might be. It’s a city which doesn’t sleep so that its dreams don’t end. Every Indian aspires to be in Mumbai, trying to prove his or her mark in the larger scheme of things or simply just to be a part of this mythical city. Only something drastic and brutal could stop this city. Something which would break several dreams, kill several dreamers and shatter several families. That day was November 26. A day every Mumbaikar remembers but wants to forget. An unforgettable event.
Six terrorists armed with the most advanced ammunition to kill people made their way to Mumbai on a boat. Six young boys, who sold their souls to the unforgivable act of terrorism, with the ulterior motive of killing and ‘sacrificing’ themselves, brought this city and the whole nation to a standstill. For the next four days, every Indian prayed for this brutality to end, and when it actually did, it had already created destruction beyond any human imagination.
Mumbai had faced an even bigger destruction in 1993, but the absolute unpredictability of this act in 2008 was unexpected to say the least. It all happened all of a sudden but felt like it lasted forever. On the 10th anniversary of this tragedy, let’s remember those who gave up their lives fighting against this immoral act and those who lost themselves and their dreams. Let’s remember this as an act of cowardice, which was a failed attempt at killing the soul of this city and our country, because we have come quite far ahead since then. Mumbai has more dreamers than it ever had and far more motivated youngsters who are ready to raise their voices against any kind of violence, be it against any religion or any community.