26/11-Could not trust my Instinct

Bikash Choudhury


One year after 26/11 Mumbai blast, I still curse myself, for not being able to trust my instinct; that told me, Mumbai could be the next big terror target after Hyderabad-Jaipur-Bangalore-Ahmedabad and New Delhi. Therefore, today even after a year, I feel personally responsible for the condition of the two year child Moshe, other 170 victims of that unfortunate incident and all our valiant Mumbai Police and NSG commandos who perished in that sixty hours long fight. After Jaipur terror strike, I felt eastern region could be the next target and therefore cautioned the Orissa Govt. through media representative to be on guard for Puri Ratha Yatra and due to my input or otherwise also, State Govt. took commendable steps to sanities Puri town before the Ratha Yatra and the festival passed off peacefully. It was very difficult to figure out wheather, there was a terror plot for Puri; which was averted because of timely action by the Govt.or else, there was no terror threat for Puri? After Delhi bomb blast I had developed a nagging fear that now Mumbai suburban train or its busy central business districts could be an eminent target of Terrorist. Some how my intuition was telling me that it could be a very dangerous one and a big one. But, I could not summon the courage to discuss my feelings, even with my wife. My fear at that point of time was of being ridiculed by one and all; if dared to articulate my instinct in public. While 26/11 Mumbai blast was being unfolded on that fateful night, I switched off my TV at 10.30 pm in the Hotel room at Bangalore Majestic area near Railway station to concentrate on presentation for a business meeting next day; in the early morning and went out to have tea in the Cotton street, totally oblivious of the world at Mumbai that had changed for ever. After finishing the tea when I picked up the news paper and saw in big and bold letter “Mumbai under Terror strike” with Taj Hotel on the back ground; my heart nearly freeze. I could only mumble to myself “What I have done to my self and Mumbai city of mine”. Rushed to my Hotel room and remained in comatose just watching the live coverage of Terror Seize at Taj Hotel, Oberoi Hotel and Nariman House. That tragic event has locked in my memory and many times stir me out of my sleep with a visual of “terrorist driving in Police patrol vehicle entering the Taj Hotel spraying bullets from their AK-47 riffles on their way” playing in the backdrop of my mind.