A disturbing truth is emanating from the 60-hour terror ordeal that left Mumbai angry and a nation stunned. The word is out that the marine commandos, better known as the Marcos, could have been called much earlier.
Indecision on the part of the state authorities delayed the operation of the naval special forces, according to official sources familiar with the situation.
A senior state police official called the Naval headquarters at Mumbai, asking for help, about an hour after the first round of gunfire. But it is believed that there was no formal request made for bringing in the Marcos. In fact, sources said, the concerned police official had initially told the Naval authorities, “We may need your help.” Only the state chief secretary has the formal authority to call in the Marcos.
What transpired between the police and the state administration is not known but by the time a formal request was put in, it was close to 2 am, according to these sources.
To make matters worse, when the Marcos reached the Taj there was no one to brief them. “They entered the Taj with absolutely no co-ordinates, no layout plan of the building, no briefing from any high ranking police official. The Taj is definitely not a place that jawans or officers visit on a daily basis. The could not afford to delay either since they could not afford to lose any more time in bringing the situation under control,” said sources on conditions of anonymity.
While the state had made the decision to call in the Army on late Wednesday evening, after the magnitude of the situation became clearer, implementation was slow. The National Security Guard (NSG) commandos had to be flown in from Delhi and were deployed on Thursday morning around 7 AM on Thursday morning. There have also been questions over what seems to be delays in the deployment of the NSG. But in case of NSG, they had to be flown in from Delhi.
In contrast the Marcos are located close to Mumbai, at Karanja, near Alibaug, and could have been deployed earlier, sources said.
No one knows how many more lives could have been saved if the Marcos had been called in immediately. On Saturday evening, the official toll released by the home ministry stood at 183-141 Indian civilians, 22 foreigners and 20 security personnel. The number though is expected to rise above 200 as the search is still on for some missing guests.
It’s also now surfaced that the terrorists were planning to kill thousands in Mumbai.
The terrorists had stockpiled enough ammunition for the task, including eight kilos of extremely potent RDX. At some point towards the end of the NSG operation, the terrorists lost their nerve and began arguing amongst themselves.
According to security sources, one of them was willing to surrender, while the other two were bent on a fight to the death. One of the terrorists even tried to negotiate his way to surrender. “But that was quite a risk. From earlier experiences we knew it could have been a trap,” said a security officer.
All the four terrorists in the Taj were eventually killed by the NSG in Operation Cyclone which ended around 8am on Saturday morning. The sources said all the four terrorists had posted themselves at important check points on different floors. They were keeping in touch through intercom and cell phones belonging to the hostages.
Two terrorists were gunned down by the NSG commandos on Friday while one was killed on Saturday morning around 3 am. The last of the terrorists was finally felled around 8am.
The bodies of the terrorists have been sent to the JJ Hospital for autopsy.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Highly trained and motivated
NSG and marine commandos (marcos) involved in the operations at the Taj and the Oberoi-Trident hotels described the terrorists as well trained in military and commando methods and very familiar with the layouts of the two hotels.
“They were more sophisticated than militants encountered even in Jammu & Kashmir,” an NSG commando who took part in the operation at the Taj told DNA. “Initially we could not comprehend whether we were up against a bunch of motivated terrorists or trained commandos of another army,” another NSG commando told DNA. “The extent of ammunition carried by the terrorists initially overwhelmed us,” the commando from Haryana, who spoke to DNA on condition of anonymity, said.
According to him, the terrorists did not act like a bunch of desperate fidayeen, but gave every indication of having undergone intensive commando training.
The officer, who returned to the Taj early on Friday morning, spoke to DNA a little after 2am. His motivation was to highlight the challenges being faced by the security forces.
A marco also described the terrorists as determined to spread terror, without any sign of remorse. “The manner in which they would throw grenades and fire from different locations at the hotels showed their familiarity with the layout. They must have carried out a survey earlier,” said the masked commando of MARCOS, India’s lethal Marine Commando Force. “The terrorists were equipped with 7 fully loaded ammunition magazines plus 400 spare rounds of bullets. Not everyone can operate such a sophisticated AK series.”
The first commando gave other indicators of the sophistication of the terrorists. “Their style of operation did not correspond to our existing knowledge of terrorist operations in any part of India, including Jammu and Kashmir. Unlike ultras who tend to get desperate with receding ammunition, the firing pattern of the terrorists showed a well-thought- out strategy,” he said.
“The NSG’s strategy was to tire out the militants before sleep deprivation crept in,” the commando said. Unfortunately, this was another aspect of a commando operation that the militants seemed well acquainted with.
“Sleep deprivation training is sophisticated. Commandos are taught the art of keeping their eyes open for as long as a week without any visible signs of mental fatigue. These militants appeared well-trained in mental exercises to ward off sleepiness and also carried specific drugs that help,” the commando said.
The commando also pointed out that while they had gone into the operation with the knowledge that the enemy knew its way around the hotel, the extent of this knowledge only became apparent later. “Even if they had a map or had visited the hotel some time earlier, the way they were operating meant they had memorised everything. It is difficult to imagine militants being trained to such levels.”
The marine commandos, who were the first to enter the hotels, were also hampered by the risk of injuring the many guests trapped inside. “The men had to literally feel their way through the pitch dark hotel corridors and rooms,” said the marine commando, who gave the first account of the operation to the media on Friday.
When they arrived at the Taj hotel, the terrorists lobbed grenades from the seventh or eighth floor. “We thereafter heard gunshots on the second floor and we rushed (there). We found 12 to 15 bodies there. At that point of time, we also came under fire. When we retaliated, the terrorists hurled grenades at us.
Fortunately, we could take cover and were unhurt,” the commando said. “Once the firing stopped, we found the terrorists had vanished and gone elsewhere, which showed they knew the hotel layout well.”
Two commandos were injured, one of them seriously, in this encounter. In addition to ammunition, the commandos recovered a Mauritius national’s identity card and Chinese-made hand grenades, seven credit cards of different banks, dry rations and $1,200 and Rs6,840 from the rucksack of a terrorist.
Security officials said the men, described by eyewitnesses as “just like boys dressed in cargo pants and T-shirts with rucksacks across their shoulders”, were a highly motivated and determined group. Split into small groups, they created panic by first attacking crowded locations before focusing their assault on the two five-star hotels and an office-cum-residential building housing a Jewish centre.
“They were more sophisticated than militants encountered even in Jammu & Kashmir,” an NSG commando who took part in the operation at the Taj told DNA. “Initially we could not comprehend whether we were up against a bunch of motivated terrorists or trained commandos of another army,” another NSG commando told DNA. “The extent of ammunition carried by the terrorists initially overwhelmed us,” the commando from Haryana, who spoke to DNA on condition of anonymity, said.
According to him, the terrorists did not act like a bunch of desperate fidayeen, but gave every indication of having undergone intensive commando training.
The officer, who returned to the Taj early on Friday morning, spoke to DNA a little after 2am. His motivation was to highlight the challenges being faced by the security forces.
A marco also described the terrorists as determined to spread terror, without any sign of remorse. “The manner in which they would throw grenades and fire from different locations at the hotels showed their familiarity with the layout. They must have carried out a survey earlier,” said the masked commando of MARCOS, India’s lethal Marine Commando Force. “The terrorists were equipped with 7 fully loaded ammunition magazines plus 400 spare rounds of bullets. Not everyone can operate such a sophisticated AK series.”
The first commando gave other indicators of the sophistication of the terrorists. “Their style of operation did not correspond to our existing knowledge of terrorist operations in any part of India, including Jammu and Kashmir. Unlike ultras who tend to get desperate with receding ammunition, the firing pattern of the terrorists showed a well-thought- out strategy,” he said.
“The NSG’s strategy was to tire out the militants before sleep deprivation crept in,” the commando said. Unfortunately, this was another aspect of a commando operation that the militants seemed well acquainted with.
“Sleep deprivation training is sophisticated. Commandos are taught the art of keeping their eyes open for as long as a week without any visible signs of mental fatigue. These militants appeared well-trained in mental exercises to ward off sleepiness and also carried specific drugs that help,” the commando said.
The commando also pointed out that while they had gone into the operation with the knowledge that the enemy knew its way around the hotel, the extent of this knowledge only became apparent later. “Even if they had a map or had visited the hotel some time earlier, the way they were operating meant they had memorised everything. It is difficult to imagine militants being trained to such levels.”
The marine commandos, who were the first to enter the hotels, were also hampered by the risk of injuring the many guests trapped inside. “The men had to literally feel their way through the pitch dark hotel corridors and rooms,” said the marine commando, who gave the first account of the operation to the media on Friday.
When they arrived at the Taj hotel, the terrorists lobbed grenades from the seventh or eighth floor. “We thereafter heard gunshots on the second floor and we rushed (there). We found 12 to 15 bodies there. At that point of time, we also came under fire. When we retaliated, the terrorists hurled grenades at us.
Fortunately, we could take cover and were unhurt,” the commando said. “Once the firing stopped, we found the terrorists had vanished and gone elsewhere, which showed they knew the hotel layout well.”
Two commandos were injured, one of them seriously, in this encounter. In addition to ammunition, the commandos recovered a Mauritius national’s identity card and Chinese-made hand grenades, seven credit cards of different banks, dry rations and $1,200 and Rs6,840 from the rucksack of a terrorist.
Security officials said the men, described by eyewitnesses as “just like boys dressed in cargo pants and T-shirts with rucksacks across their shoulders”, were a highly motivated and determined group. Split into small groups, they created panic by first attacking crowded locations before focusing their assault on the two five-star hotels and an office-cum-residential building housing a Jewish centre.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
How poor we are!!
One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, 'How was the
trip?'
'It was great, Dad.'
'Did you see how poor people live?' the father asked.
'Oh yeah,' said the son.
'So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?' asked the father
The son answered:
I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.
We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.
Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.
We buy our food, but they grow theirs.
We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.'
The boy's father was speechless.
Then his son added, 'Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.'
Isn't perspective a wonderful thing?
Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, 'How was the
trip?'
'It was great, Dad.'
'Did you see how poor people live?' the father asked.
'Oh yeah,' said the son.
'So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?' asked the father
The son answered:
I saw that we have one dog and they had four.
We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.
We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.
Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.
We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.
We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.
We buy our food, but they grow theirs.
We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.'
The boy's father was speechless.
Then his son added, 'Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.'
Isn't perspective a wonderful thing?
Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Gud one..
I came across this lines from one of my friend's profile.. Nice one..
1)
உன் முகம் இன்னுமோர் இந்தியா ... ஒவ்வொரு பகுதியும் ஒவ்வொரு மொழி பேசுகிறதே ...
2)
DIAMOND is just another piece of COAL that did well under PRESSURE
1)
உன் முகம் இன்னுமோர் இந்தியா ... ஒவ்வொரு பகுதியும் ஒவ்வொரு மொழி பேசுகிறதே ...
2)
DIAMOND is just another piece of COAL that did well under PRESSURE
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The great betrayal, but in the good books of the USA
Historically, the Congress party has betrayed the nation. In 1947, it agreed to the Partition after initially refusing to allow any division of the country. Mahatma Gandhi, who had declared that the country would be ‘divided over his dead body’, didn’t raise a finger when the ‘surgery’ was done – with extensive bloodshed that marked the beginning of a catastrophe.
In 1948, the Congress government led by Nehru stopped our gallant forces from recovering lost territory in Kashmir, once again causing permanent damage to the country. In 1962, he befriended China and was taken for a ride by Chou En-lai with consequences known to every Indian.
Again in 1971 Indira Gandhi declared a unilateral ceasefire and ordered the winning forces to retreat when our army had almost approached Lahore. She also decided to cede the territory that was won by our army to Pakistan. What a betrayal !
Now in 2008, the Congress is ready to sell off the country to the USA by signing the agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, exposing our nuclear research to inspection. This will infringe on our sovereignty. A pat on the back by George W. Bush means so much to Dr. Manmohan Singh, to the extent that he is ready to lead the country to dig its own grave.
Let us briefly consider a few points of the agreement. That it “ensures an uninterrupted fuel supply for our reactors” is a lie. A nuclear test will end the fuel supply under the Hyde Act.
The agreement envisages that India will have to identify and separate its civilian and military nuclear facilities. This is not possible precisely because our nuclear reactors are geared to serve a dual purpose. It implies that all our nuclear facilities will be considered “civilian” and will be under the IAEA scanner. Research on nuclear weapons will stop totally; or else, IAEA (read USA) will harass India in the manner suffered by Iraq, Iran and North Korea.
To stop nuclear research for defence (for example, the fast-breeder reactor in Kalapakkam) will increase the comparative strength of our not-so-friendly neighbours.
The fact of the matter is that the deal will lead to only a minimal increase in our energy-capability. But we will be in the good books of the USA and rest of the G-8.
In 1948, the Congress government led by Nehru stopped our gallant forces from recovering lost territory in Kashmir, once again causing permanent damage to the country. In 1962, he befriended China and was taken for a ride by Chou En-lai with consequences known to every Indian.
Again in 1971 Indira Gandhi declared a unilateral ceasefire and ordered the winning forces to retreat when our army had almost approached Lahore. She also decided to cede the territory that was won by our army to Pakistan. What a betrayal !
Now in 2008, the Congress is ready to sell off the country to the USA by signing the agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, exposing our nuclear research to inspection. This will infringe on our sovereignty. A pat on the back by George W. Bush means so much to Dr. Manmohan Singh, to the extent that he is ready to lead the country to dig its own grave.
Let us briefly consider a few points of the agreement. That it “ensures an uninterrupted fuel supply for our reactors” is a lie. A nuclear test will end the fuel supply under the Hyde Act.
The agreement envisages that India will have to identify and separate its civilian and military nuclear facilities. This is not possible precisely because our nuclear reactors are geared to serve a dual purpose. It implies that all our nuclear facilities will be considered “civilian” and will be under the IAEA scanner. Research on nuclear weapons will stop totally; or else, IAEA (read USA) will harass India in the manner suffered by Iraq, Iran and North Korea.
To stop nuclear research for defence (for example, the fast-breeder reactor in Kalapakkam) will increase the comparative strength of our not-so-friendly neighbours.
The fact of the matter is that the deal will lead to only a minimal increase in our energy-capability. But we will be in the good books of the USA and rest of the G-8.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The Golden Eagle
A man found an eagle's egg and placed it under a brooding hen. The egglet hatched with the chickens and grew to be like them. He clucked and cackled; scratched the earth for worms; flapped his wings and managed to fly a few feet in the air.
Years passed. One day, the eagle, now grown old, saw a magnificent bird above him in the sky. It glided in graceful majesty against the powerful wind, with scarcely a movement of its golden wings.
Spellbound, the eagle asked, “who's that?”
“That's the king of birds, the eagle.” Said his neighbour. “ he belongs in the sky. We belong to earth – we're chickens.”
So the eagle lived and died a chicken for that's what he thought he was.
So Don't restrict urself.. Come out of the shell.. Life'z urs! Cheers!!!
Years passed. One day, the eagle, now grown old, saw a magnificent bird above him in the sky. It glided in graceful majesty against the powerful wind, with scarcely a movement of its golden wings.
Spellbound, the eagle asked, “who's that?”
“That's the king of birds, the eagle.” Said his neighbour. “ he belongs in the sky. We belong to earth – we're chickens.”
So the eagle lived and died a chicken for that's what he thought he was.
So Don't restrict urself.. Come out of the shell.. Life'z urs! Cheers!!!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Gone are the days
Gone are the days!!!
When
The school reopened in June,
And we settled in our new desks and
benches!
When we queued up in book depot,
And got our new books and notes!
When we wanted two Sundays and no Mondays,
Yet managed to line up daily for the morning prayers.
We learnt writing with slates and pencils, and
Progressed To fountain pens and ball pens and then Micro tips!
When we began drawing with crayons and evolved to
Color pencils and finally sketch pens!
When we started calculating
first with tables and then with
Clarke's tables and advanced to
Calculators and computers!
When we chased one another in the
corridors in Intervals, and returned to the classrooms
Drenched in sweat!
When we had lunch in classrooms, corridors,
Playgrounds,
under the trees and even in cycle sheds!
When all the colors in the world,
Decorated the campus on the Second Saturdays!
When a single P.T. period in the week's Time Table,
Was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons!
When cricket was played with writing pads as bats,
And Neckties and socks rolled into balls!
When few played
"kabadi" and "Kho-Kho" in scorching sun,
While others simply played
"book cricket" in the
Confines of classroom!
Of fights but no conspiracies,
Of Competitions but seldom jealousy!
When we used to
watch Live Cricket telecast,
In the opposite house in Intervals and Lunch breaks!
When few rushed at 3:45 to
"Conquer" window seats in our School bus!
While few others had "Big Fun", "peppermint" ,
"kulfi", " milk ice !" and "sharbat !" at 4o Clock!
Gone are the days
Of Sports Day,
and the annual School Day ,
And the one-month long
preparations for them.
Gone are the days
Of the stressful Quarterly,
Half Yearly and Annual Exams, And the most
enjoyed holidays after them!
Gone are the days
Of tenth and twelfth standards, when
We Spent almost the whole year writing revision tests!
We learnt,
We enjoyed,
We played,
We won,
We lost,
We laughed,
We cried,
We fought,
We thought.
With so much fun in them, so many friends,
So much experience, all this and more!
Gone are the days
When we used
to talk for hours with our friends!
Now we don't have time to say a 'Hi'!
Gone are the days
When we played games on the road!
Now we
Code on the road with laptop!
Gone are the days
When we saw stars
Shining at Night!
Now we see stars when our code doesn't
Work!
Gone are the days
When we sat to chat with Friends on grounds!
Now we chat in chat rooms.....!
Gone are the days
Where we
studied just to pass!
Now we study to save our job!
Gone are the days
Where we had no money in our pockets and still fun filled on our hearts!!
Now we have the atm as well as credit card but with an empty heart!!
Gone are the days
Where we shouted on the road!
Now we don't shout even at home
Gone are the days
Where we got lectures from all!
Now we give lectures to all... like the one I'm doing now....!!
Gone are the days
But not the memories, which will be
Lingering in our hearts for ever and ever and
Ever and ever and ever .....
Gone are the Days…. But still there are lot more Days to come in our Life!!
NO MATTER HOW BUSY YOU ARE ,
DONT FORGET TO
LIVE THE LIFE THAT STILL
When
The school reopened in June,
And we settled in our new desks and
benches!
When we queued up in book depot,
And got our new books and notes!
When we wanted two Sundays and no Mondays,
Yet managed to line up daily for the morning prayers.
We learnt writing with slates and pencils, and
Progressed To fountain pens and ball pens and then Micro tips!
When we began drawing with crayons and evolved to
Color pencils and finally sketch pens!
When we started calculating
first with tables and then with
Clarke's tables and advanced to
Calculators and computers!
When we chased one another in the
corridors in Intervals, and returned to the classrooms
Drenched in sweat!
When we had lunch in classrooms, corridors,
Playgrounds,
under the trees and even in cycle sheds!
When all the colors in the world,
Decorated the campus on the Second Saturdays!
When a single P.T. period in the week's Time Table,
Was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons!
When cricket was played with writing pads as bats,
And Neckties and socks rolled into balls!
When few played
"kabadi" and "Kho-Kho" in scorching sun,
While others simply played
"book cricket" in the
Confines of classroom!
Of fights but no conspiracies,
Of Competitions but seldom jealousy!
When we used to
watch Live Cricket telecast,
In the opposite house in Intervals and Lunch breaks!
When few rushed at 3:45 to
"Conquer" window seats in our School bus!
While few others had "Big Fun", "peppermint" ,
"kulfi", " milk ice !" and "sharbat !" at 4o Clock!
Gone are the days
Of Sports Day,
and the annual School Day ,
And the one-month long
preparations for them.
Gone are the days
Of the stressful Quarterly,
Half Yearly and Annual Exams, And the most
enjoyed holidays after them!
Gone are the days
Of tenth and twelfth standards, when
We Spent almost the whole year writing revision tests!
We learnt,
We enjoyed,
We played,
We won,
We lost,
We laughed,
We cried,
We fought,
We thought.
With so much fun in them, so many friends,
So much experience, all this and more!
Gone are the days
When we used
to talk for hours with our friends!
Now we don't have time to say a 'Hi'!
Gone are the days
When we played games on the road!
Now we
Code on the road with laptop!
Gone are the days
When we saw stars
Shining at Night!
Now we see stars when our code doesn't
Work!
Gone are the days
When we sat to chat with Friends on grounds!
Now we chat in chat rooms.....!
Gone are the days
Where we
studied just to pass!
Now we study to save our job!
Gone are the days
Where we had no money in our pockets and still fun filled on our hearts!!
Now we have the atm as well as credit card but with an empty heart!!
Gone are the days
Where we shouted on the road!
Now we don't shout even at home
Gone are the days
Where we got lectures from all!
Now we give lectures to all... like the one I'm doing now....!!
Gone are the days
But not the memories, which will be
Lingering in our hearts for ever and ever and
Ever and ever and ever .....
Gone are the Days…. But still there are lot more Days to come in our Life!!
NO MATTER HOW BUSY YOU ARE ,
DONT FORGET TO
LIVE THE LIFE THAT STILL
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