India marks its tenth anniversary of one of the most horrific terrorist attacks which took place in Mumbai. 26/11 is indeed a day to be remembered. Nine years ago, Mumbai witnessed a series of 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks which lasted four days across the city, carried out by 10 members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamic terrorist organisation based in Pakistan.  The attacks, which drew widespread global condemnation, began on Wednesday 26 November and lasted until Saturday 29 November 2008. To be more specific, the attacks took place in city's most important landmarks like Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Hotel, Leopold Cafe and Cama Hospital. The terrorists reached India through the Arabian Sea and began to fire around 9.30pm. They conquered the local public spots and also continued firing on pedestrians on the streets. At least 174 people died, including 9 attackers, and more than 300 were wounded.

Attacks of 26-11 -Movie poster

It was a moment of nationwide mourning and the financial capital of the country having to deal with the aftershocks of what has been the most brutal attack in its history. However, the effects of this tragedy were not just felt in India. The echoes of November 26, 2008 could be heard far and wide across the world; not just because it was another act of terrorism that global powers had been trying their best to fight against, but because foreigners were clearly a prime target of the militants.

What has been lost is lost. Nothing could be changed is one true fact. Humans tend to forget the grievances and heal by time. Yet, history must be remembered. However, in 2013, film-maker Ram Gopal Varma took up an ambitious project - ‘The Attacks of 26/11’, a movie based on the 26/11 Mumbai terror strike. In the film, Nana Patekar plays a joint commissioner of police facing an enquiry over the attacks, while Sanjeev Jaiswal will be seen as the recognized terrorist Ajmal Kasab. The movie was specially screened for politicians, at the capital's Films Division Auditorium at Mahadev Road. L.K Advani was present along with various other leaders, including Shahnawaz Hussain, Sanjay Nirupam, Rajeev Pratap Rudy, Naveen Jindal, Balbir Punj, Raj Babbar and Ram Vilas Paswan.

Hotel Mumbai

A number of documentaries were released since then. The Taj Hotel being one of the major spot of the attack was keenly focused on ‘Hotel Mumbai’ directed by director Anthony Maras. It is based on the 2009 documentary Surviving Mumbai.  The film stars Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Anupam Kher, Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Jason Isaacs, Suhail Nayyar and Natasha Liu Bordizzo. Dev Patel plays a server role under the watchful eye of Chef Oberoi who is suddenly tasked with keeping his guests alive when the attacks break out. Other narratives include the Mumbai police officers who break into the hotel to get to the CCTV cameras, Patel’s character’s wife watching the news footage, and a young Aussie couple backpacking across India. The film recounts how the Taj’s guests and staff fought to survive those four miserable days.

Tribute to 26-11

“Time heals, they say, but for us the pain has only intensified over the last ten years as we see the boy growing,” Rabbi Rosenberg the grandfather of Moshe Holtzberg who survived the 26/11 carnage at the age of two, having lost his parents to the terror attack on the Nariman House, told PTI on the 10th anniversary of the 26/11 attacks. The Indian government hit out at Pakistan, saying those responsible for the strike that left 174 people dead still roam free. As reported by the NDTV - “Pakistan is showing little sincerity in bringing perpetrators to justice. The planners of 26/11 still roam the streets of Pakistan with impunity. The 26/11 terrorist attack was planned, executed and launched from Pakistan territory. We once again call on the Government of Pakistan to give up double standards and to expeditiously bring the perpetrators of the horrific attack to justice” the foreign ministry said in a statement. The Mumbai-Indians proved that no matter what may come, we shall stand united and tall against terror. Jai Hind.