Hindustan Times
On the sidelines of 26/11
I have cut my milk teeth in journalism on disaster coverage – riots, massacres, floods, cyclones, earthquakes, plane crashes, bomb blasts – you name it, I’ve done it. Injured during some (the 1992-93 Bombay riots), traumatised by others (the Assam massacres, the serial Bombay blasts), simply sickened by human misery at others, like the Latur earthquake or the Orissa cyclone.
But 26/11 spared me the agony of being on the spot – I think I have gotten too old to be the kind of reporter I was in the prime of my youth: always wanting to be on the scene before anybody else (my agency training did that to me: I spent a large portion of my career working for a wire service), always wanting to get my report out first, always looking for angles no other reporter might spot…
Its just as well, then, that 26/11 happened last year when I was off-duty. I had just got home from work and was preparing for a late dinner when my Editorial Director, Vir Sanghvi, called to ask for details about the attack. I went into hyper-drive, first calling all my friends among the cops and then the politicians. But soon I ran out of steam. I switched on my television and was glued to it all night/morning. For the first time, I felt quite inadequate — emotionally as well as physically — to rush to the spot, though that was not needed (we already had a large team of young reporters spread across all the areas under attack).
But while this was the only disaster/terror activity in my range that I have not covered from the spot, I am surprised at the anger it has generated in me. Not just on 26/11 as the tragedy was unfolding but also in the subsequent weeks and months. Not just at the terrorists per se but also at our own people – politicians, bureaucrats, cops as well as many of the general citizenry. All of them were on the sidelines and none of them really cared, except for themselves.
I was appalled when former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh thought little of taking along noted director Ramgopal Verma on a little tour of the Taj Hotel the day after the disaster, to boost his film star son Ritesh’s career. The extent of that callousness was apparent from the fact that no television channel had been present when that bit of terror tourism was underway. It did not even occur to the authorities that they were doing something wrong, so they happily sent out clippings from the government videographer to various television channels. And thus Deshmukh cost himself his own job.
Then, again, RR Patil was doomed by his comment that `such small incidents happen in big cities’. He was speaking in Hindi though he doesn’t know the language too well. So why, then, should he have been seeking mileage on national television after the disaster when he had had little hand in its prevention or control? If he had been more caring and less callous, he would have taken the trouble to articulate the thought well in his mind before speaking out in such casual fashion. Cost himself his own job, again.
And if then Police Commissioner Hasan Ghafoor is right in saying that there was dereliction of duty on part of many of the top cops and that they were too lily-livered to come on to the battlefield that night, then it gets my goat on two counts: anger at those cops who allowed others to die while they sat in the safety of their control rooms and at Ghafoor for waiting so long to speak out and expose the truth.
I am also annoyed by those kind of people who did not suffer a single scratch during those terror attacks and yet are the most vocal in their criticism of the government, authorities, cops, bureaucracy, etc for doing nothing (those who were victims do not want to talk, by contrast). And yet these chatterati did nothing on voting day, both during the Lok Sabha elections and the subsequent one for the Maharashtra Assembly in October, to ensure a change of regime in the country and the state. They stayed home or went out on a little holiday, perhaps – for the voter turnout in these areas was less than 45 per cent at both elections. Thus RR Patil is back as Home Minister (at least the Congress had the good sense not to return Deshmukh as CM) and they are still screaming for his scalp when they did little when it could/would have mattered.
But my greatest anger is reserved for the conspiracy theorists. If it were not for the fact that Ajmal Kasab was caught alive and the more poignant fact that an unknown, unarmed constable called Tukaram Omble gave his life to catch Kasab live (even as Kasab emptied bullets into his stomach, he clung on to the terrorist in a death-grip until help arrived in the form of his better-armed colleagues), these conspiracy-theorists would have got away with their absurd theories.
One of the most bizarre theories floated by one of these groups on the morning of 27/11, even as the commandos had just begun to get into the Taj, the Trident and Nariman House, was that the RSS had sent in armed men into these places to kill Hemant Kakare, who was then Chief of the Anti-Terrorist Squad of the Bombay Police. Simply because Karkare had been thoroughly investigating the Malegaon blasts which had turned up some Hindu bigots as the culprits, these conspiracy-theorists wanted the world to believe that Karkare was eliminated by their supporters.
Even without Kasab having been caught alive, how would that explain the attack on the Victoria/Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus, the two posh hotels or the Jewish religious house, even the slaying of the other police officers? And how could/would the RSS have known that Karkare would be out in the battlefield, right on target, and not cowering in the control room as Ghafoor alleges other top cops did?
Even then I thought that theory was an insult to Karkare – both, in investigating the Hindu bigots and battling the Islamic terrorists, this brave officer was only doing his job, keeping his oath and being true to his uniform. To say he was exposing Hindu terrorists because he was sympathetic to Muslims is to prejudice that officer and everything he stood for and reduce his painstaking investigations to simply some cheap chicanery.
A year later, these conspiracy-theorists still abound, though their voices are a shade subdued. But not so the voices of the chatterati. Cops and bureaucrats, too, are still holding on to their jobs (some have even been elevated). The politicians who failed us are back with a bang, too.
And no one has done enough for Tukaram Omble. The one man to whom this nation owes a great debt of gratitude. He would not have known how he was exposing Pakistan’s ugly face by giving his life in the line of duty. With that one single act he did for the country what the best of our leaders and intellectuals of all hues have failed to achieve since Independence – put Pakistan on the mat.
The least his countrymen can do is build a memorial to him, where he fell at Chowpatty. A prominent one. Lest we forget.
But do any of us care?
(2 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
Loading ...Posted by Sujata Anandan on Friday, November 27, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged 26/11 mumbai, bomb blasts, cyclones, disaster coverage, earthquakes, Editorial Director, floods, Hemant Kakare, Journalism, massacres, plane crashes, Police Commissioner Hasan Ghafoor riots, Tukaram Omble, Vir Sanghvi
Here is a short answer to the question in the last line.
None of us care – why- because journalists like you spend the best part of the year since 26 / 11, demolishing the BJP and promoting the Congress. Why will a party care to put things in order, when it knows that it can return to power even after such horrendous mistakes?
Recently saw Chidambaram on various TV channels during 26 / 11 anniversary programmes. It was amusing to see him quote data between 1999-2003 to show how we have neglected internal security and thus vulnearable to terrorists attcacks. When journalists like you allow him to get away with sophistry like that, why will the Congress government care? Any other country and any other journalist would have ripped Chidambram apart, for not mentioning what his own government did from 2004-2008. Yet none on the Indian journalists dare do that.
The tragedy, as to why 26 /11 martyrs would never be sufficiently redemed is this – prominent jornalists like you are so blind sighted by your hate of BJP that you will allow Congress to get away with murder ! And it did get away with it – twice in a year .
No point lamenting at it now.
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bobby Reply:
November 28th, 2009 at 1:49 am
Is there any point in promoting BJP when it is worse than congress?
Congress is able to get away only because opposition is worse than them.
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Anil Kumar Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 10:40 am
How the hell you know they are worse than congresss wherever they are ruling they are doing much better job
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Krishna Reply:
November 28th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Akhilesh babu…get a life yaar..today is saturday..enjoy the weekend…..Itna gussa kayko kartha hai chaddiiiiii…… chaddhiii mein bahut thand lag raha hai tho ek pant pehenneka…. Jhandewala jaane ka aur waha vyayam karne ka….relax Akhilesh babu… relax….
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Anil Kumar Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 10:41 am
You nailed it brother..
Even at the eve of any expose of corruption media makes ita point to njuxtapose the scam with some cases from godforsaken era of oppostion and therbey blunt the public anger.. media acts like Congress’s B team
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Sujata, do you care about 26/11? I don’t think so…. you write one article/blog and then get back to BJP/RSS bashing and praising Gandhi family and Congress.
Lest we forget.. do you know what it means?
We all knew long time back that Pak based terrorist are resposible for terrorist attacks on India.Mr. Omble gave his life for nothing. India does not even remember it’s war dead how do u expect them to rem cops killed during parliment attack and other terrorist attack.
Taking an example in Aust. they ANZAC day celebrations and a national holiday to rem dead soliders in World war I. People / Govt all sections of society participate… I never see that happening in India.
How fast you Forget about it… please go back to sleep..as you always were!
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Anil Kumar Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 10:42 am
She is tryign her best to come of as neutral but we all know she belongs to congress team.
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I am very disappointed with all of you for spending so much time discussing non-issues like 26/11. We Indians, including me have no value systems. because if we had one we would not be discussing something which happened last year. Let us face it, the government is not worried about it, nor the aam aadmi nor the millions who go to sleep without a meal nor the millions of soldiers fighting in Kashmir nor the madhu koda nor A raja. To be frank 97% Indians don’t know and don’t care. They have to worry about their daily life and people like koda and raja have to worry about how many crores they can make. I don’t see anybody bothered about the millions of parents who sell their kids into bonded labor to feed. 26/11 was tragic, then thinking of it most who died did not think they would become victims of this attack. But what about the millions who die every day and wakeup to die again… I am talking about the millions who live on $1 a day. Hope you show similar compassion too!
I can argue by throwing an analysis that BJP should own-up the responsibility for 26/11 and compensate the victims for the heinous crime. Because of BJP more people have died during the babri masjid issue and the Gujarat riots. i would estimate about 10,000 people have died because of these 2 incidents alone. Now because of the above 2 incidents we had the serial bomb blast in Mumbai followed by series of bomb blasts in various parts of India and also gave a chance to the pakis to attack Mumbai on 26/11 killing 200 people. Now since all this occurred because misadventures of the BJP… i am of the opinion that BJP should apologize to the nation for creating communal tension and also for provoking the illiterates to kill innocent people. Besides BJP should be banned and asked to compensate all those who have been killed in various communal violence and 26/11 attack.
To Pankaj and Akhilesh –
I am not Anti-BJP… but looking back to the time when BJP was ruling the country. BJP had numerous opportunity to show the world that India was not a Soft state. They are the same as the congress but with difference of being communal. During the Kargil war, Indian troops had captured the lost position and was on the verge of crossing the LOC. but what did the BJP do, they pulled back fearing it could lead to full blown war, they basically chickened out on it. After the parliamentary attach they did a massive troop deployment at the western border. But again they did not have it in them to cross over and attack. They again chickened out. Ok let us understand the IC hijack issue. If it were some other government at least after the incident you should have hunted the perpetrators of the hijack one by one by sending in hit squads.
And the story goes on… i believe Indians in general are more less selfish by nature. For them their daily existence matters. But when it comes to arguments they are the best armchair nationalist i have come across. All said and done I am one of them.
Armchair Facist
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Anil Kumar Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Buddy if you think any sane govt can starta an actual war then you have no idea what nuclear exchange woudl mean.. BJP’s tactics was to force pakistan to accept and for the first time they officially accepetted that they have bene sending terorrist to kashmir and will nto do so infuture.. all these talks we are having today are on the basis of that admission.
And yes BJP was not in power it was NDA.. BJO could only undertake common minimum program and many allies in NDA were just cheap imitation of congress..
Blame BJp the day you and I give them majority and they don;t do anything..
And no BJP was anythign but communal one riot doesn;t make them communal if that were the case then congress would be million times more communal
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There is apathy all around.
It will get worse (If that is indeed possible)
The problem with the chatterati is that even if they have been affected, its just another talking point for them.
Those who care cant do much except grit their teeth. Those who dont, are moving ahead.
Welcome to the world of lost values……
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Fact isthat even the bare minimum which is tabling of Pradhan Commisison report before assembly for debate has not been done and media yet kept silent during election over this issue..
This is nothign new Btw congress till today has not tabled the war fiasco report of 1962..
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Chatterati chatted this time ecause their safe abode Taj Palace was attacked.. Did we hear in past Suhel Seth grinding his teeth over any terror blast no thsi time his favourite places were attacked hence those vitriolics.. I say: der aaye durust aaye
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so far Bjp has ruled in central and state , like UP, Rajasthan, MP, Gujarat , they have created mess every where, off course they did well in gujarat but its not BJP its working charector of NRI gujarties and cheap laboureres from other state, but when BJP seems they are loosing in gujrat they have created masscare in Gujrat polarised and they win.
they ruled in rajasthan for 10 years they ruined they state, off course only pople benefitted were ex rpyals and princes they got all money by converting their house and places in heretage hotels look at some of ex ministers and MLA of rajasthan BJP assets spread all over india and abroad.
thats the way they looted rajasthan for 10 years .
what ever progress we are seeing that is hard work of congrees govt. BJP has no policy, they want to divide and rule and it didnt work, at present they busy in fighting themselves so there is not effective oppositaion as well, so mean to say they nit good at any front. May God save india From BJP
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“But do any of us care?”…….Well d fact is none of us really do, whatever gimmicks we may play infront of the world. Enough had been discussed and said about d callousness of Mr. Vilasrao and R.R.Patil..Journalists were seen busy across the news channels discussing, bashing the acts of these politicos…..But did any of the news cos / journos ever realized as to whether had they done their bit of duty during those terror attacks. I still remember the sight of seeing the NSG commandos being paradropped onto the Nariman House being telecast across all d so called great 24X7 News channels. Every News Channel was going overboard declaring they were d first to have captured that moment, as if that was d BREAKING NEWS that would qualify them for a ‘Bharat Ratna’. The first thought that crossed my mind on seeing that sight on TV was, “what if the Terrorist themselves are watching it on TV ? What if they received this info by their handlers who can watch the live actions on TV as i am able to ?”..Its really surprising that such thoughts never knocked d doors of our So called ‘Senior Responsible Journos’..But i guess thatz what we call Business. It seemed as if a war was declared among the new cos..each one trying their best to bring in the latest d fastest…
Later on in one of d talk shows, one among you (think it was Rajdeep Sardesai) went on to defend this act of all the news channel saying the govt should have restrained them from doing so…Is this what we mean by being reponsible / caring ?
Bottom line is whatever, we may write, say, do, d fact still remains none of us (me inclusive) really do care a bit. ! Everyone, except d ones who lost some1 or d other and were directly affected by the attacks, have moved on..R.R.Patil is back as Home Minister. Rounds of Candle light vigils were a ritual with a definite expiry date..New channels are back beaming Breaking News of Mr. Bachhan having caught a bit of Cold..!
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