By P. Sarojini
Mumbai, India (CWBN)_ India’s top business tycoon Ratan Tata recalled the devastating Mumbai terror attack on the 12th anniversary of 26/11 incident which shook Mumbai city. The terror attack on the Mumbai Taj Mahal Palace Hotel happened on November 26, 2008. Thirty one employees and hotels guests were killed and many more were injured following the attack. The 100-year-old Taj Hotel, owned by the Tata group, was the worst affected by the series of attacks carried out. Apart from the casualties, the attack caused severe infrastructural damages to the hotel as well.
Industrialist Ratan Tata took to social media to share his heartfelt comments on the fatal incident. Sharing a popular picture of the Taj Hotel, he said that although a decade has passed, the gruesome incident still remains in his memories. He wrote, “The wanton destruction will not be forgotten”. He thanked the Mumbai people for their unity and support to “vanquish the terrorism and destruction that day”.
The 82-year-old businessman expressed his grief regarding the attack and mourned for the victims of the incident. He further applauded the bravery of the Indian Army officers (and in particular the commandos) who sacrificed their lives while conquering enemies. He stated that the unity and act of kindness and sensitivity shown during that time will be cherished forever. His social media message read, “Today, we certainly can mourn the ones we lost and honor the sacrifice of the brave who helped conquer the enemy, but what we must applaud, is the unity and the acts of kindness and sensitivity which we should cherish, and which hopefully, will continue to shine in the years ahead”.
The 26/11 Mumbai attack was carried out by a group of 10 terrorists from the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), who primarily targeted the Taj Hotel. A series of attacks were also carried out in other star hotels such as the Oberoi hotel, the Leopold Cafe, the Nariman (Chabad) House and other landmarks such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station. 166 people were killed in total. The Indian government carried out commando operations against the terrorists and killed 9 of them. One terrorist, Ajmal Kazab, was caught alive and arrested. He was given the death sentence and executed on 11 November 2012. In memory of the 31 victims who lost their lives at the Mumbai Taj Mahal Palace during the attack, Ratan Tata opened a memorial with their names in 2009. The iconic Taj Hotel was only able to resume operations months after the attack. Many countries conveyed their tributes on the 12th anniversary of the incident. The United States stated that they will unite with India to fight against terrorism.
