The Dance with Death - 'Bomb'BAY

14 July 2011,

The city of dreams was attacked again. Yes, yet again.

3 years back, I left Bombay for good, just a day before 26/11 happened. I used to frequent Leopold's Cafe, the Sea Lounge at the Taj, and lived bang opposite where the Indian governments son-in-law Ajmal Kasab was caught. Watched it live on TV for 3 continuous days, and the only thought which came to mind was, why the hell did I have to leave the city a day before all that happened. Somehow, I wanted to be in the city when all of it was happening.. The pain I felt sitting in Delhi and watching it happen on screen made me cry for being helpless and not able to do anything for a city which I love the most. Just to be there with the people of Bombay, would have given some peace to my heart....

Fast forward to 2011, the cowards choose to attack the city again, this time with bombs at three different crowded places killing and injuring innocent people. One question always come to my mind, and which I want to ask these cowards:

- Why do you always keep attacking and target innocent civilians and the general public?

What do you achieve? Do you think it matters to the Indian Government or politicians? They are sitting ducks and shall continue to do so, until and unless you bang someone from within them... If you aim is to create fear in the minds of the public, then you are mistaken, as getting killed by a bomb blast is better than to die of hunger. Be it Bombay or any other place in India, the public will come out of their shelters and do their normal work and routine to feed their families. Conclusion- stop doing it. You are seriously not achieving anything, and simply wasting your time.

On the other hand, our media has no apathy left with the public. They come out with news headlines such as "Day after serial blasts, Mumbaikars venture out boldly'. My question to the media -- Do the people of Bombay or India have any other choice but to go about their routine work? To call this the spirit of Mumbai, it is like hiding the inefficiency of our security and political network. Politicians come out with statements such as these to save their @ss, the media should not!.

Numb.....

Sidharth Mehta

Dubai, UAE

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Mumbai 26/11 - A Tribute

One year down the line.......... A tribute to all Indians.

A song which will touch every heart.

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Sidharth Mehta

Dubai, UAE

Perspective: The Disaster of India's Disaster Management Plan

The biggest known fact about India's Disaster Management Plan is that, it is the biggest disaster in itself. Once and on many more uncountable occasions it has failed, and failed miserably to say the least. Without doubt, it shall continue to fail, given how it is being planned and managed till now, until and unless a dramatic and much required light of pleasant change embarks upon the policy makers of the world's largest democracy.

National Disaster Management (NDM) Authority of India takes care of disasters only which are natural in nature. Which means, only natural calamities like Floods, Draught, Tsunami's, Earthquakes etc, is what comes under the NDM. Even though this scope of work was acceptable may be in the past, surely in times such as now, where man-made disasters like Terrorism, happen if not more, but as frequently as natural disasters in India, the scope of work of the NDM needs to be expanded urgently. (http://www.ndmindia.nic.in/)

The main reason why disaster management is not taken seriously in India, is that the cost of a life of a common citizen in India is not at all important for the state. They hardly care how much blood is on the street, untill and unless someone dear to them/or someone like them is targetted.

The above is represented well in what the Deputy CM & Home Minister for Maharashtra, Mr. R R Patil, said in his infamous quote about the 26/11 Mumbai Attacks - "Bade shahron mein aise ek-do haadse hote rahte hain... Woh 5,000 logon ko marne aaye the, lekin humne kitna kum nuksan hone diya".

With all due respect to the late CM of Andhra Pradesh - Mr. YSR who died in a helicopter crash after his helicopter was missing and off the radar for almost 20 hours - Just take a look at what the Government actions were after the helicopter went missing:

5000 army men, an ISRO Remote Sensing Aircraft, a Sukhoi 30 fighter jet, 14 search choppers, the forest dept., Police, CRPF, Paramiliatary Forces, Tribals, Guides, and much more, all mobilised in not more than 3 hours for a missing CM. Obviously, the government was sleeping during 26/11, where they delayed calling the NSG's, did not have an aircraft ready to airlift the commando's from New Delhi for Mumbai, which by the way is our Financial Capital and should have commando's stationed there permanently anyways.

Worse, after reaching Mumbai, the NSG commando's were taken to Taj & Oberoi in BEST buses!! Were all the choppers of the Indian Air Force not airworthy which were stationed in Bombay, that they could not be air lifted and taken to ground zero? Our polititians & policy makers were trying to figure out how bad the situation was for the city, and only then wanted to call for the Army, NSG, Naval Commando's and the likes.

I think the best case study for "How to make a Disaster of Disaster Management".

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Sidharth Mehta

Dubai - UAE

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Key Tags - Disaster Management India, Terrorism Disaster Management India, Mumbai 26/11 Disaster Management, Biggest Search Operation in India - Andhra Pradesh CM goes missing & eventually died, Disaster Management Plan India, Disaster Management Analysis India, Incredible India, Sidharth Mehta

Mumbai 26/11 Attacks: Chilling Confession of Kasab

Finally, the man confessed to what the entire world (atleast all Indians) already knew. Before I pen down my thoughts and comments on the Mumbai Attacks, which is nothing less than a brain tumor, and which shall remain in the mind forever, I thought one should give a reading to the confession made by Kasab in court on 20th July 2009.

It is a chilling tale, which needs to be told to every citizen of this country (and of this world), just to reinstate the fact that we Indians, are such an easy target for these brainwashed men, who get all the sophisticated training and incentives for having an agenda to kill innocent people. Read it, and you shall know, that the local policemen who protect us in our country, do not get such a sophisticated and planned training what these 'juvenile kids and 20 somethings' are getting across the border.

And our authorities, as usual, are sitting ducks.

Sidharth Mehta

Dubai, UAE

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THE KILLINGS
Mujhe gunah kabool hai (I admit my crime). We fired on the public at CST — Abu Ismail and I. Ismail lobbed grenades and I fired with the gun. We went a little ahead and entered a hall where we had a skirmish with the police. After another exchange of fire, all was quiet. The photographs shown of us at CST are genuine. We went back towards the platform, crossed an iron footbridge and descended into an alley. I checked vehicles parked there so that we could drive off in one. The CCTV footage shown of us around those cars is correct. However, none of the cars could be opened and we proceeded on foot. Ismail and I loaded our AK-47s. On walking a little ahead, we saw a man running. I fired at him and Ismail fired inside a house.

When we reached the gate of Cama Hospital, we saw that the wall was not too high and jumped over it. Ismail told me to wait while he checked the premises. I heard the sound of gunfire. Ismail returned and asked me to follow him. A man dressed in white was lying dead. I did not see his face. Another man was lying on a stretcher in a pool of blood. We went up a flight of stairs to the fifth floor. We stopped three persons in the ward, including a witness in the present case, and asked him to lie down so that we could frisk him. We then locked up five others, one of whom was lying in a pool of blood, in a bathroom, warning them not to make any noise. We went up to the terrace. As soon as we entered, we saw a man. I asked him to show us the way out. He indicated that policemen were around — when we went down the staircase, we saw them for ourselves. I ran back and told Ismail.

He asked me where they were, but by then we could hear a commotion that the police had arrived. Ismail was near the door. He asked me to keep a watch on the terrace and asked for a grenade. I removed all the weapons from my bag and put them in Ismail’s bag. Firing started. I kept a watch on the terrace. Then we started running downstairs and someone fired upon us. I returned fire and came down. Ismail went out first. We could see policemen near the gate, but they didn’t notice us. Ismail said we should hide. There was a door near the wall, and a person was sitting outside the hall of the hospital. I warned him to keep mum, and we managed to get out of the hospital.

On the road, we saw a big blue vehicle coming towards us. We hid behind a small stall. The blue vehicle came nearer and Ismail lobbed a grenade at it. We then walked up to a bank and hid in some bushes. We saw the headlights of a vehicle, and as it came nearer to us there was firing from it. Ismail started firing back. I was injured on my right forearm, left wrist and right elbow. (Shows his injuries in court). My gun fell out of my hand and I also fell down. The firing continued, and Ismail walked towards the vehicle. He went to check it and kept firing on it. By then I got up and took my gun in my hand. I opened the doors of the police vehicle and found its occupants dead. We removed their bodies. Ismail started the jeep and I sat next to him. In the meantime there was firing on the vehicle but none of the bullets hit us. Ismail started driving with his left hand and firing with the other one. We took a right turn. Maine kaha main chal nahin sakta (I said I wouldn’t be able to walk). Ismail said ‘ Tu hausla mat haar. Mujhe bhi goli lagi hai ’ (Don’t lose courage. I have also been shot). He said he had been shot in the knee. I could tell from the noise of the wheel that it had been punctured. We did not know the roads. We saw policemen in a motor vehicle, and on seeing weapons in our hands they started firing at us. We fired in retaliation and the cops left the spot to hide. We decided to stop a vehicle. A Skoda car, with two men and a woman in it, was passing, and we stopped it and made the occupants get out. I told Ismail that we should conceal our weapons somewhere so that nobody would be able to recognise us. We continued to drive on the same road and reached the same spot where we had hijacked the car. We saw the owner telling the police that it was his car. We started following a white car. A little ahead we could see barriers on the road. The white car went past them but policemen directed us to stop. I asked Ismail to slow down. A policeman came in front of the car. Ismail tried taking a U-turn. We could not understand anything and suddenly the wipers also started. Policemen came to the car, and one of them caught me by the collar. He pulled me out of the car. I was surrounded by policemen and one of them snatched my AK-47, which was in my hand. They started hitting me in my stomach and also with the butt of my gun. I did not fire. When I regained consciousness I was in hospital. I had not fired because I could not hold my gun.

HUM DUS THE (WE WERE TEN)

We travelled from Karachi in a small boat. Four persons came to see us off — Zaki-ur Rehman Lakhvi, Abu Hamza, Abu Kafa and Abu Jundala. I did not know the others personally but I can tell their names. Abu Ismail (he was our boss), Abu Akasha, Abu Umer, Abu Shoaib, Abu Ali, Abdul Rehman Chhota, Abdul Rehman Bada, Hafiz Arshad and Abu Fadaullah, who had a finger missing. A small boat from Karachi transported us to a big boat, which we used to get on to the high seas. There were three people on the small boat. I only remember the name of Hakib. On the big boat called ‘Al Huseini’ we slept and said our namaaz. When it sailed there were seven people on it — Murshad, Aqib, Usman... I don’t remember the other names. Murshad was the boss.

We were looking for another boat and spotted one. At 4 pm, it was brought to ‘Al Huseini’ and we started loading it with oil, blankets, rations and other things. The remaining articles were thrown into the sea. Murshad asked the five crew members of the other boat who their ‘naqva’ (navigator) was, and Amarjit Singh Solanki said it was him. The other four were taken to ‘Al Huseini’ and Singh remained on board. Murshad told us to take blankets and go to sleep. He told Ismail to take Solanki’s help in case of difficulty. A big GPS set was also given to Ismail, which we threw into the sea when we reached India.

THE TRAINING

Last year, when I was working as a decorator in Jhelum city, my colleague, Muzaffar, suggested that we turn to dacoity for better money. I left the job, went to Rawalpindi with him and took a room on rent. We decided to commit dacoity at a certain bungalow. I was roaming alone at Rawalpindi’s Raza market when I saw some Mujahideens buying animal skins. From my childhood, I had been hearing of these Mujahideens. They are known by their long hair and beards. A few days later, Muzaffar returned and we both visited the same market and were discussing our plans to rob the bungalow. I repeatedly asked him where we would get the weapons and how would we pull it off. I told him then that I had seen Mujahideens at the market, and that we could get weapons training from them, to which he agreed. We found out where their office was, and went there. A man asked me what I had come for. I told him we had come for Jihad, so he let us in. One person asked me my name, address and asked me to return next morning with extra clothes.
We returned with our baggage and we were given a chit on which was written the address of a training camp in Muridke. Three weeks later, I was sent from there to another camp. In the evening we went to Buttal jungle, where I met Muzaffar. We were given 21 days of training. After his training was over, Muzaffar’s brother took him back home but I was told that I was going for bigger training.

Here, I was taught exercises, operating weapons like AK-47, guns and pistols. Three months went by like this. My trainer Abu Abdul Rehman asked me to bring my identity card from my native Okara district. I visited an office in Model Town there and was asked to go to Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir. Once in Muzaffarabad, I was asked to look for Saeed Bhai’s office. I told them that I had come for Daura-E-Khaas (special training), and filled up a form. The next morning, we reached a training camp, where Abu Maaviya was our trainer and trained me for three months in operating rocket launchers, grenades, AK-47s and other sophisticated weapons. Then I was sent to my Faridkot home. I was told to return to Saeed Bhai’s office after a week, which I did.

Ten days later, Saeed bhai, Abu Kafa and Abu Hamza came there and selected 15 of us. We were taken to Muzaffarabad and then to Muridke. Kafa was with me and we were trained to swim. A month later, we were taken to Karachi’s seashore from where we were taken in small boats to big ones. The idea was to check if we could adjust to the sea’s rough weather or not, and to see if we suffered from sea-sickness. We were then brought back to the same place and then two days later, we were again taken to Muzaffarabad where we met Hamza.

Of the 15 of us, two had run away, while six were sent to Kashmir. So seven of us were left, to which three other boys were added, making us ten in all. Hamza had a separate room, to which he would call us in pairs. On two occasions, he showed Ismail and me movies and pictures of CST station on his laptop. We were then taken to forests, trained further in firing, and were brought back. Two days later, we were given trousers and T-shirts, and our photographs were taken and our fake ID-cards made. Kafa took us to Karachi and gave us small bomb kits. We were asked to note down the time when the bomb kit’s battery would turn on.

We stayed there for more than 90 days. We were trained to use an inflatable boat. It is the same boat produced in court. In Karachi we stayed in the same house that was shown on Geo TV. Two or three days before November 22, 2008, Hamza again came and played the same CST video to us. We were given arms and ammunition. Those bags were transported to Al-Huseini.

Kafa took us to the Karachi shore where Al-Huseini was anchored. Lakhwi, Hamza and Abu Jundal joined Kafa on the shore, while we were to leave for Mumbai. Jundal Hindustani hai, unhonein hi humein Hindi sikhaaein . My wish is that you should end this trial and punish me.

I wanted to confess much earlier but could not do so as Pakistan had disowned me. Now Pakistan is saying that I am a Pakistani.

They are also going to prosecute the offenders. Don’t ask me how I know all this. I just do. You
should accept my confession and punish me.

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Courtesy - The Times of India.