TFIPOST हिन्दी
TFIPOST Global
Tfipost.com
Tfipost.com
No Result
View All Result
  • Premium
  • Politics
    • All
    • Analysis
    • Opinions
    • Trending
    PM Modi in Bihar After Pahalgam Terror Attack: Pays Tribute, Announces Major Projects Worth ₹13,480 Crores

    Modi Government’s 72-Hour Operation Redefines India’s Counter-Terror Doctrine

    Donald Trump Announces Surprise India-Pakistan Ceasefire, Credits American Mediation

    Donald Trump Announces Surprise India-Pakistan Ceasefire, Credits American Mediation

    Pakistan Bloody Trail: A Chronicle of Terror from Bombay to Pahalgam (1993–2025)

    Pakistan’s Bloody Trail: A Chronicle of Terror from Bombay to Pahalgam (1993–2025)

    Will India Push Pakistan Back to the FATF Grey List?

    Will India Push Pakistan Back to the FATF Grey List? A Timeline of Its Previous FATF Setbacks

    • Analysis
    • Opinions
    • Trending
  • Economy
    • All
    • Business
    • Economy1
    • Finance
    Designing For Impact: Create Exceptional Small Businesses Marketing Materials

    Designing For Impact: Create Exceptional Small Businesses Marketing Materials

    Things You Need to Consider Before Choosing an L&T Finance Two-wheeler Loan

    Things You Need to Consider Before Choosing an L&T Finance Two-wheeler Loan

    Crypto Trading Signals Explained: A Comprehensive Guide

    Crypto Trading Signals Explained: A Comprehensive Guide

    Crypto Arbitrage Trading

    Crypto Arbitrage Trading

    • Business
    • Finance
  • Defense
    • All
    • Defence
    • Strategy
    • Weaponry
    The Demand of ‘de-escalation’ Is a Shield for Terror, Not a Call for Peace

    The Demand of ‘de-escalation’ Is a Shield for Terror, Not a Call for Peace

    Operation Sindoor

    How Operation Sindoor became a Grand Success: Over 100 Terrorists Eliminated in 25-Minute Blitz

    Operation Sindoor: India Destroys JeM Base, Kills Masood Azhar’s ten Family Members

    Operation Sindoor: India dismantles JeM terror infrastructure, neutralises Masood Azhar’s ten family members

    Operation Sindoor

    Why Operation Sindoor? Because No One Touches the Sindoor of an Indian Woman Without Consequence

    • Defence
    • Strategy
    • Weaponry
  • Geopolitics
    • All
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Europe
    • South Asia
    • West Asia
    Operation Sindoor still on: India neutralises Pakistan’s Chinese-made HQ9 Air Defence System in Lahore

    Operation Sindoor still on: India neutralises Pakistan’s Chinese-made HQ9 Air Defence System in Lahore

    UNSC

    UNSC Rejects Pakistan’s Anti-India Narrative, Demands Accountability for Pahalgam Terror Attack

    Credit: ANI

    India Japan Defence Meet: Pahalgam Attack Sparks Renewed Solidarity

    Khalistanis take out Anti-Hindu rally in Canada

    Canada: Khalistani extremist parade PM Modi, HM Amit Shah, Jaishakar’s effigies in mock jail; calls for deportation of 8 lakh Hindus

    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Europe
    • South Asia
    • West Asia
  • Knowledge
    • All
    • Culture
    • Education
    • History
    • Indology
    How to Decide Between Amity and Manipal for Your Online MBA Journey

    How to Decide Between Amity and Manipal for Your Online MBA Journey

    Mughals, Delhi Sultans Out, Fresh Chapters on Indian Rulers, Mahakumbh Introduced: NCERT revises Class 7 books

    Mughals, Delhi Sultans Out, Fresh Chapters on Indian Rulers, Mahakumbh Introduced: NCERT revises Class 7 books

    Role of Consultants to Study in Ireland: How to Choose the Right One?

    Role of Consultants to Study in Ireland: How to Choose the Right One?

    The Complete Guide to Education Loan Interest Rates in 2025

    The Complete Guide to Education Loan Interest Rates in 2025

    • Culture
    • History
    • Indology
  • Law
  • Lounge
    • All
    • Books
    • Cinema
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Games
    • Health
    • Lifestyle
    • Satire
    • Sports
    • technology
    • Travel
    The Best Foods to Increase Your Libido and Enhance Your Life

    The Best Foods to Increase Your Libido and Enhance Your Life

    FIFA World Cup 2025: Which Teams Have the Best Shot at Glory?

    FIFA World Cup 2025: Which Teams Have the Best Shot at Glory?

    Download MCW App in Bangladesh and Start Winning

    Download MCW App in Bangladesh and Start Winning

    How Does Sports Betting Work in India?

    How Does Sports Betting Work in India?

    • Books
    • Cinema
    • Food
    • Health
    • Sports
    • technology
    • Travel
    • Satire
Tfipost.com
  • Premium
  • Politics
    • All
    • Analysis
    • Opinions
    • Trending
    PM Modi in Bihar After Pahalgam Terror Attack: Pays Tribute, Announces Major Projects Worth ₹13,480 Crores

    Modi Government’s 72-Hour Operation Redefines India’s Counter-Terror Doctrine

    Donald Trump Announces Surprise India-Pakistan Ceasefire, Credits American Mediation

    Donald Trump Announces Surprise India-Pakistan Ceasefire, Credits American Mediation

    Pakistan Bloody Trail: A Chronicle of Terror from Bombay to Pahalgam (1993–2025)

    Pakistan’s Bloody Trail: A Chronicle of Terror from Bombay to Pahalgam (1993–2025)

    Will India Push Pakistan Back to the FATF Grey List?

    Will India Push Pakistan Back to the FATF Grey List? A Timeline of Its Previous FATF Setbacks

    • Analysis
    • Opinions
    • Trending
  • Economy
    • All
    • Business
    • Economy1
    • Finance
    Designing For Impact: Create Exceptional Small Businesses Marketing Materials

    Designing For Impact: Create Exceptional Small Businesses Marketing Materials

    Things You Need to Consider Before Choosing an L&T Finance Two-wheeler Loan

    Things You Need to Consider Before Choosing an L&T Finance Two-wheeler Loan

    Crypto Trading Signals Explained: A Comprehensive Guide

    Crypto Trading Signals Explained: A Comprehensive Guide

    Crypto Arbitrage Trading

    Crypto Arbitrage Trading

    • Business
    • Finance
  • Defense
    • All
    • Defence
    • Strategy
    • Weaponry
    The Demand of ‘de-escalation’ Is a Shield for Terror, Not a Call for Peace

    The Demand of ‘de-escalation’ Is a Shield for Terror, Not a Call for Peace

    Operation Sindoor

    How Operation Sindoor became a Grand Success: Over 100 Terrorists Eliminated in 25-Minute Blitz

    Operation Sindoor: India Destroys JeM Base, Kills Masood Azhar’s ten Family Members

    Operation Sindoor: India dismantles JeM terror infrastructure, neutralises Masood Azhar’s ten family members

    Operation Sindoor

    Why Operation Sindoor? Because No One Touches the Sindoor of an Indian Woman Without Consequence

    • Defence
    • Strategy
    • Weaponry
  • Geopolitics
    • All
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Europe
    • South Asia
    • West Asia
    Operation Sindoor still on: India neutralises Pakistan’s Chinese-made HQ9 Air Defence System in Lahore

    Operation Sindoor still on: India neutralises Pakistan’s Chinese-made HQ9 Air Defence System in Lahore

    UNSC

    UNSC Rejects Pakistan’s Anti-India Narrative, Demands Accountability for Pahalgam Terror Attack

    Credit: ANI

    India Japan Defence Meet: Pahalgam Attack Sparks Renewed Solidarity

    Khalistanis take out Anti-Hindu rally in Canada

    Canada: Khalistani extremist parade PM Modi, HM Amit Shah, Jaishakar’s effigies in mock jail; calls for deportation of 8 lakh Hindus

    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Europe
    • South Asia
    • West Asia
  • Knowledge
    • All
    • Culture
    • Education
    • History
    • Indology
    How to Decide Between Amity and Manipal for Your Online MBA Journey

    How to Decide Between Amity and Manipal for Your Online MBA Journey

    Mughals, Delhi Sultans Out, Fresh Chapters on Indian Rulers, Mahakumbh Introduced: NCERT revises Class 7 books

    Mughals, Delhi Sultans Out, Fresh Chapters on Indian Rulers, Mahakumbh Introduced: NCERT revises Class 7 books

    Role of Consultants to Study in Ireland: How to Choose the Right One?

    Role of Consultants to Study in Ireland: How to Choose the Right One?

    The Complete Guide to Education Loan Interest Rates in 2025

    The Complete Guide to Education Loan Interest Rates in 2025

    • Culture
    • History
    • Indology
  • Law
  • Lounge
    • All
    • Books
    • Cinema
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Games
    • Health
    • Lifestyle
    • Satire
    • Sports
    • technology
    • Travel
    The Best Foods to Increase Your Libido and Enhance Your Life

    The Best Foods to Increase Your Libido and Enhance Your Life

    FIFA World Cup 2025: Which Teams Have the Best Shot at Glory?

    FIFA World Cup 2025: Which Teams Have the Best Shot at Glory?

    Download MCW App in Bangladesh and Start Winning

    Download MCW App in Bangladesh and Start Winning

    How Does Sports Betting Work in India?

    How Does Sports Betting Work in India?

    • Books
    • Cinema
    • Food
    • Health
    • Sports
    • technology
    • Travel
    • Satire
No Result
View All Result
Tfipost.com
Tfipost.com
No Result
View All Result
  • Premium
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Defense
  • Geopolitics
  • Knowledge
  • Law
  • Lounge

A pertinent question after a decade of 26/11: How prepared are we?

Nandini by Nandini
26 November 2018
in Opinions
mumbai, terror

PC: rediff.com

Share on FacebookShare on X

There is a tendency to ask -Where were you when you first got to know?

Or when did you feel the first tremor?

RelatedPosts

Amid rising terror attacks, NSG Task Force to be permanently stationed in Jammu region: Report

India’s 26/11 Response vs. Israel’s War on Terror

Digvijay is not Congress; Congress leaders are not Congress; then who represents Congress? convicted Rahul Gandhi?

Load More

Or see the ocean rise?

Or hear the gunshot?

…. Where were you…?

9/11 was one such event in time when those who survived it marked themselves safe and country singer Alan Jackson encapsulated the angst of having witnessed a watershed moment that makes one question everything.

Where were you when the world stopped turnin’-That September day?

Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbour Or did you just sit down & cry?

Well, in New Delhi, India it was approaching 10 pm on Wednesday, 26 November 2008 when I thought a good book in bed would be anyway more interesting than the news on TV that I began the exercise of closing the house down for the night.

Till Breaking News flashed on the screen and the anchor announced that there was news coming in of firing at Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminal, Mumbai.

I, of Indian stock, inured to unknown people dying or getting killed somewhere in this large country held the remote ready to switch off the television.

It was when the images now seared permanently into our national conscious, of two men with back-packs nonchalantly shooting into the crowd, that I sat back in shock and remained there for four days removing myself only occasionally for something that required my immediate attention. 

Everything it seemed fell apart very soon.

After Chatrapathi Shivaji Terminus, Cafe Leopold, Cama and Albless Hospital, the news of an ambush on ATS Chief Karkare, Additional Police Commissioner Kamte & Encounter Specialist Salaskar with their small team, was the final straw.

To an ordinary citizen, a TV viewer, it was a shocking insight into the functioning and the standard of professionalism of a force that is supposed to police our country.

Correct me if I’m wrong but did we not actually see on TV that ‘on the spur decision’, according to a witness Constable Niteen Matane a wireless operator, when at 11.55 pm Karkare left for Cama Hospital with Salaskar in the driver’s seat with Kamte armed with only an AK-47 & Constable Arun Jadhav who sat in the rear of the Qualis with a carbine?

Within seven minutes there was the sound of continuous firing and then absolute silence.

Those ordered by Karkare to man the rear gate of the hospital remained there, not sure what they were supposed to do. A police station down the road switched off its lights and locked its gate, assessing realistically its lack of ability to handle any onslaught.

The question that everyone asked to each other with this drama unfolding before our eyes-Isn’t there a set protocol?

A standard operating procedure?

How did these three senior officers in the Mumbai Police hierarchy leave together, minimally armed when they had no idea of what awaited them? Time and again after the ordeal was over people justified the bungling with-

This has never happened before.

This was an absolutely unimaginable situation.

How would various agencies know what to do?

Well, the simple answer is that worldwide organisations learn from the experience of other countries and from their own terror attacks, of which we had no shortage of. They certainly shouldn’t have to wait for an attack of such magnitude to befall them before they struggle to lay down procedure.

We, as a country have suffered from an unimaginable number of devastating terror attacks. We, as citizens have borne the brunt of this violence as the list below gives you some indication.

February 1998, the Coimbatore Bombings – 58 dead

December 2000 Red Fort Attack, in the heart of the capital – 3 dead

October 2001 J&K Legislative Assembly -38 dead

December 2001 Parliament House, the heart of democracy – 7 dead

September 2002 Rafiganj Rail Disaster – 200 dead

March 2003 Mumbai Train Bombing – 10 dead

August 2003 Mumbai Gateway if India & Zaveri House Bombing – 52 dead

August 2004 Dhimajee School Bombing-18 children dead

July 2005 RJB Temple Site Attack – 6 dead

October 2005 Delhi Bombings – 70 dead

March 2006 Varanasi Bombing -21 dead

July 2006 Mumbai Train Bombing -209 dead

September 2006 Malegaon-37 dead

February 2007 Samjauta Express -68 dead

August 2007 Hyderabad Bombings – 42 dead

May 2008 Jaipur Bombings – 63 dead

July 2008 Ahmedabad Bombing – 29 dead

September 2008 Delhi Bombing – 33 dead

October 2008 Assam Bombings – 81 dead

9/11 terror attacks in the US, 7/7 in London had already shown us how first responders get on the job and  the way a police force and fire fighters react to an extreme emergency situation.

But what did we do?

We waited for a ‘spectacularly inept’, according to a US diplomatic cable made public by Wikileaks, Home Minister who was found ‘asleep on the watch’ during earlier terror strikes in various cities, change his clothes three times to tell us that –

“No aircraft was available here in Delhi & then we called one from Chandigarh & dispatched 250-300 NSG commandos within two to three hours to Mumbai and I also travelled with them. It was a freight aircraft & we travelled standing”

According to Sandeep Unnithan @sandeepunnithan in DailyO of 12 June 2016 the Minister was being economical with the truth.

‘More than 200 NSG commandos left their base at Manesar 30 kms away from the airport at 12.40 am. They reached the ARC dispersal area at 1.40 am, the pilots were already there conducting pre-departure checks on the aircraft’

The aircraft had been topped with 70 tons of fuel ready to leave at 2am. If there was any wait it was for Home Minister Patil.

The Home Minister’s delay of one crucial hour in landing up late cost the country not only caused several precious lives but by then the terrorists had entrenched themselves so deep in the iconic Taj Hotel that it took the NSG three days to neutralize them.

The question remains why did the Home Minister choose to travel with the NSG when he had his BSF Embraer jet fuelled, parked & waiting.

By the time the night was over we knew of the attack on Leopold Café and the taking of Chabad Lubavitch, Taj Hotel & the last site The Oberoi- Trident Hotel-Mumbai was under siege. By 1 am the central dome of the Taj Hotel was bombed and massive fires raged in the building. That image was so shocking that it emblazoned in our brains, capturing the impotence of the State against, what we now know, was only 10 men, and hit straight in the gut.

Early morning brought the pathetic sight of the then Commissioner of Police Hasan Gafoor parked in his car outside the Oberoi-Trident which now served as his ‘base of operations’.

The Pradhan-Balachandran findings post 26/11 make clear that Mr. Gafoor was guilty of gross violations of standard operating procedures and ‘should have been in the command centre of the control room which might have helped in better utilization of forces …’

They were however, officers as Director General of Police AN Roy who helped to develop an alternative response though he had ‘no operational responsibility’ to persuade residents of the upmarket National Centre of Performing Arts building in order to evacuate their flats. The police position in these flats became a key element in the NSGs final storming of the Oberoi-Trident.

Officers like Azad Maidan division Commissioner Issaq Ibrahim Bagwan battled terrorists at Nariman House keeping them pinned down till the afternoon when the NSG finally arrived. For most part though, it looked as if the leaderless force was left to cope with the situation.

By now the breathless and hysterical reporting of the media was in full swing. Miloni Bhatt specially comes to mind with her camera man being asked to show positions of the security agencies behind bushes, parked vehicles and even on trees.

I especially remember this moment because in absolute rage I called NDTV and asked the young woman on the line to stop this reporting. To which she responded very calmly with some condescension ‘Ma’am, we know what we’re doing. Please.’ And hung up on me.

Justices Aftab Alam & CK Prasad of the Supreme Court gave a stinging rebuke in 2012 to the electronic media –

“The coverage of 26/11 was driven entirely by commercial interest, TV channels put National security in jeopardy by their reckless 24×7  live telecast of security operations…”

“…. The coverage of the Mumbai terror attacks by the mainstream electronic media has done much harm to the argument that any regulatory mechanisms for the media must only come from within ….”

Dhananjay Mahapatra of TOI reports –

The court found the transcripts of conversations between terrorists holed in the Taj, Oberoi-Trident, Nariman House and their handlers in Pakistan. The terror masterminds were actually watching live telecasts and got important inputs about the positioning of the security forces.

Early morning on 29th November 2008, both hotels had been stormed by the NSG, with the Rapid Action Force and the Marine Commandos having cordoned off and surrounded the area the day before.

At the end of four days, we stood as a country, buck naked, ashamed and with a sigh in pain of terror. Anyone who tells you of the Spirit of Mumbai and the wonderful little stories of the common people who rose to the occasion, is only trying to distract you from inadequacy and incompetence of those in charge.

Ten years down on this 26/11 we must ask the State of India, no matter which party is in office, some hard hitting questions.

Were those people in positions of power & responsibility held accountable for the carnage under their watch? Instead of being booted out, were they at best shunted around to low profile appointments in the best traditions of our civil & political machinery?

As former US Ambassador Mulford observed ‘the discipline & culture of the Indian bureaucracy is such that if these men stay on they will continue to wield power & would not be treated as damaged goods by the rest of the government….’

Have things changed?

Were the lacunae studied and fixed to counter the terror?

Were subsequent terror attacks handled any differently?

Are we any the safer?

Are you prepared for a 26/11 today?

If the response to all the above is shaky, weak and hesitant then every remembrance and eulogy to those who lost their lives is a betrayal.

Tags: 26/11 Mumbai Terror AttacksNSGShivraj Patilterror
Share3TweetSend
Previous Post

Shashi Tharoor finally accepts the Gujarat model of development

Next Post

In case you are a Hindu and are planning to vote for Congress, please watch this

Related Posts

The Tale of how Operation Sindoor Silenced Satyapal Malik and His Echo Chamber
Opinions

Operation Sindoor Success: Satyapal Malik and ilks disappears into abyss of silence

8 May 2025

On May 6, former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik appeared in a much-publicised interview with controversial journalist Karan...

Operation Sindoor
Defense

Why Operation Sindoor? Because No One Touches the Sindoor of an Indian Woman Without Consequence

7 May 2025

In a rapid and decisive response to the Pahalgam Islamist attack that claimed the lives of 26 innocent tourists...

BJP’s Caste Census Play has flipped the Political Script but let's calculate its efficiency
Opinions

Why Caste Census now?

3 May 2025

Politics, at its core, is about timing, power, and control of the narrative. With one unexpected move , announcing...

Load More

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms of use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Currently Playing

Pakistan needs money from IMF to feed their people

Pakistan needs money from IMF to feed their people

00:15:20

Vacate PoK and more: Steps Pakistan needs to take to avoid Indian military action

00:06:36

Taking The Wire’s Propaganda Piece on VP to the Cleaners – Feat. Prof. Kapil Kumar

00:09:19

Rahul Gandhi Undermines India’s Electoral Integrity as Trump Applauds It

00:07:09

Why Pakistan army chief reminds two nation theory| what is the plan| Waqf Bill |Asim Munir| Jinnah

00:13:02
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube
tfipostTfipost.com
Right Wing | News Analysis | Indian Opinion
  • About us
  • Careers
  • Brand Partnerships
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap

©2025 TFI Media Private Limited

No Result
View All Result
  • Premium
  • Politics
    • Analysis
    • Opinions
    • Trending
  • Economy
    • Business
    • Finance
  • Defense
    • Defence
    • Strategy
    • Weaponry
  • Geopolitics
    • Africa
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Europe
    • South Asia
    • West Asia
  • Knowledge
    • Culture
    • History
    • Indology
  • Law
  • Lounge
    • Books
    • Cinema
    • Food
    • Health
    • Sports
    • technology
    • Travel
    • Satire
TFIPOST हिन्दी
TFIPOST Global

©2025 TFI Media Private Limited