India’s 9/11: 2008 Terrorist Attacks in Mumbai

by Kanika Vaish

Bullet Marks left at the Leopold Cafe

The Damage Done to the Oberoi Trident Hotel

The Taj Mahal Hotel on Fire

On the morning of November 26th, 2008, my only thought was how amazing my birthday was going to be.
A few days prior to my birthday, my parents had asked me where I would like to celebrate. They had an idea to take my best friends and I out to dinner at the Oberoi Trident Hotel. I hesitated – thinking of something more special to me. When I recommend my idea to celebrate my birthday in Delhi, I had no idea that I had probably just saved our lives.

12:00 AM: 13th birthday! The day where I can finally call myself a teenager.

8:00 AM to 3:00 PM: School; everything seems to be flowing perfectly. I receive presents, a birthday cake; and every class I go to – people sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to me.

4:30 PM: At the airport. About to board my flight to New Delhi, where I’ll be celebrating my birthday with my relatives.

7:30 PM: Out to dinner with my friends and family.

8:00 PM: Terrorists strike Mumbai.

I remember sitting on the couch in my home in New Delhi, just taking in everything. Watching the pain, the horror, the reality of it all. Hundreds of people were injured or dying.

It is important to note that there have been many previous cases of terrorist attacks in Mumbai. For instance, 13 bomb explosions killed 257 people and injured 700 people on March 12th, 1993. On December 6, 2002, a bus blast killed 2 people and injured 28. On July 11, 2006, seven bombs exploded within 11 minutes on the Suburban Railway in Mumbai, killing 209 people and injuring 700 people. There are many more cases of terrorism in Mumbai, and most of them have some sort of significance. Terrorists usually attack near a famous landmark – such as the Gateway of India, where a few terrorist attacks have taken place. Terrorists have also been known to attack on special occasions such as the anniversary of the demolition a mosque in Ayodhya – March 12th. Terrorists also attack in common, public places such as bus stations, train stations, shopping districts, etc.

The terrorists on November 26th had traveled across the Arabian Sea, coming from Karachi, Pakistan. They hijacked boats, killed the crews, and entered Mumbai. At 20:00 Indian Standard Time (8:00 P.M., EST), 10 Urdu-speaking men arrived on the shore of two locations in Colaba, a sector of Mumbai. Urdu is one of the official languages of Pakistan. It developed under the influence of Persian, Arabic, and Sanskirt. It is often contrasted to Hindi. There is still no clear idea of what motivated the terrorist on this day, but there are ideas such as ‘wanting to attract international attention; wanting to attack foreigners and people with British or American passports; or maybe they’re just crazy people.’

It was reported that the attackers arrived by inflatable speedboats, and they told local Marathi-speaking (the official language of the state of Maharashtra) fishermen to “mind their business” when their motive were questioned. The terrorists split up and headed two different ways, and the fishermen’s report to the police did not receive much response at the time.

The citizens of Mumbai that looked past the terrorists cannot be blamed. The terrorists were dressed as any other man in Mumbai might dress: shorts, shirts, sandals, unshaven emotionless faces.

The attackers started at a famous historical railway: the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Two gunmen opened fire in the passenger hall using AK-47 rifles. One of the gunmen, Ajmal Amir, was later caught alive by the police and identified by eyewitnesses. The attack began at 21:30 IST (9:30 P.M.) and went until 22:45 IST (10:45 P.M.) 52 people were killed and 109 people were injured as a result of this attack.

The Leopold Café, a popular restaurant on Colaba Causeway, was one of the first places to be attacked. Two attackers fired at the café, killing 10 people including a few foreigners, and injuring many more. A few lucky people escaped the café unhurt, but they were still traumatized.

Bomb blasts went off in taxis, taking place at around 10:30 PM. The terrorists had taken these taxis from the Leopold Café to the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, and had left timer bombs beneath the front seats. When passengers and the drivers got on, they were immediately injured, and three people were killed.

There were also explosions at Nariman House, a Jewish center in Colaba. Several residents were held hostage by two attackers. In the end, national security guard commandos killed the attackers after a long battle. However, Rabbi Holtzberg and his wife, Rivkah Holtzberg (who happened to be 6 months pregnant at the time) were murdered along with some other hostages.

As I was watching all this happen from my small screen in Delhi, I started to feel a strong sense of helplessness. I looked up from the T.V. long enough to check my phone. It was ringing, almost furiously it seemed. The call was from my friend Ariana – who was currently living in Colaba at the time of the bombings.

“Hey Kanika, you’re okay, right? Have you heard the news? It’s crazy! They’re canceling school tomorrow and Friday. Oh yeah, my parents are stuck at a hotel restaurant. Don’t worry, it’s not one of the ones being bombed. But they’re not allowed to leave. Shumona’s parents are out too. Most parents from our school, actually. The police are keeping them there for safety – can you believe that? Apparently the terrorists could be anywhere. It’s scary here – thank God you chose to go to Delhi for your birthday.”

As Ariana rambled on, a thousand things were swirling in my head. Hotels were being bombed? Parents were in danger? Had anyone died? I was now feeling more helpless than ever. I wanted to be there in Bombay; it was better than being stuck in Delhi doing nothing.

My eyes back on the television, I watched as my favorite hotels were being destroyed. The hotels with the most damage were the Taj Mahal Hotel and the Oberoi Trident Hotel.

Later I got a call from my friend, Rudra.

“Hey, are you still in Delhi? Well if you are, stay there. It’s freaky over here. Man, I feel so bad for Naeem. Don’t you?”

I had no idea what had happened to our friend in 7th grade, Naeem.

“Both his parents died at the Taj Mahal Hotel.”

That horrible reality – it just felt like a slap in the face. I couldn’t believe that a boy that I knew, that I’d talked to, had been faced with this terrible fate.

I looked back at the T.V. and saw the latest news on the bombings.

There were six explosions at the Taj Mahal Hotel and one at the Oberoi Trident Hotel. The attackers held several hostages in the Taj Mahal Hotel, and some hostages ended up staying there until the next day. Marine commandos and national security guards arrived and surrounded the hotels.

Early in the morning, on November 29th, 2008, it was reported that all the attackers had left the hotels. Most of the terrorists were killed, and a few of them were brought back for questioning. 250 people were rescued from the Oberoi Hotel, 300 people from the Taj Hotel, and 60 people from Nariman House. However, 173 deaths were recorded, and 308 injured in total.

The terrorist attacks of November 26th, 2008 hit Mumbai hard. It is an event that will never be forgotten in the future. It is also a dangerous date now, as the terrorists seem to have a pattern of going by a year or lunar calendar. All we can do is remember our lost ones, prepare for the worst, and hope for the best.