Mumbai was hit by serial blasts today. Commuters in trains on one of the railway lines (Western Railway) were killed by bombs that went off in seven different trains. The blasts occured around 1825 hrs, which is the peak hour for commute in Mumbai, as office goers leave South Mumbai to go back home to the suburbs. Estimates suggest that the body count is around 180 as of now.
Within minutes, the Mumbai Help blog came alive with messages, comments and offers to help. The blog started last year to cope with the floods, and started to fill the information and communiation gap. This particular post asks readers to provide phone numbers of people they want to check on, or inform. Metroblogging Mumbai has been doing updates on the issue. This is an open thread on the blog.
Amit at India Uncut has a post with frequent updates as the situation changes. With the mainstream media reporting with the trademark cluelessness, More on Mumbai by Jayesh. Blogpourri comments on the smugness of a particular mainstream media news channel. NowPublic features images taken by a citizen journalist, Dharmesh Thakkar. Pajamas Media collates links from mainsteam media and blogs. At Indian Writing there is this dedication to the particular intimacy that can be formed on public transport:
To “train friendship”. To every kind of friendship. To remember those whom the city has lost, and to honour their memories by holding together and never letting the violence win.
Gaurav Sabnis grieves for the city and its people.
It's been a tough day for the city, and the tragedy has a slightly personal note for me too. I am fortunate that neither me nor any of my acquaintances were victims today. But Western Line is “my” line. I have regularly travelled on those very tracks. The idea that almost 200 people were killed along the very familiar landscape which is a part of my life chills me, angers me and saddens me.
Contrapuntal asks why Bombay? and looks forward, hoping that there is no backlash.
Why Bombay? Why always Bombay? Because it's big and successful, so if you can make a splash there you're sure to hit the big time. (Why does anyone go to Bombay?) Please please let there not be a backlash. I'm incoherent. I'm not trying to write an article ok? The trains, soft spot, so horrifyingly easy. It's a miracle it hadn't happened before. And now what? How do you screen every single person who gets into a Bombay train?
Waking up twice on the assumptions that are made in times like these. Ultrabrown has notes on the terror attack and screenshots of the coverage. The Renegade of Junk on right-wing bloggers in the US indulging in their standard fare.
Many right wing bloggers in the US are somehow trying to link these bomb blasts with their own domestic selfish pro-Bush agenda, as bongopondit pointed out in the comments. The rest are engaging in highly clueless analysis of the events. For example Captain Ed of Captain's Quarters.
Scout on being outside India at a time like this and watching the news on television.
People here feel sad about us Indians. They can't imagine a life where bombs go undetected and terrorism is something they talk about in political science classes. But for us, it is a part of life – inevitable. But being away from India puts things into sharp perspective for me, I see it both ways and it hurts that much more.
Dhoomketu on the blasts and what he learnt today. On the Ganga Mail reflects on the city.
That's the thing about Bombay: you don't have to go to the city to see it. Those into Hindi movies have grown up in it without even setting foot on it. That's why it hurts even a Bihari or a Bengali when tragedy strikes far-off Bombay. It is the surrogate hometown of every Hindi movie-watcher.
Dilip goes to one of the stations which was hit, and writes about a car that is forced to take in passengers. A flickr set called Black Bombay has been created to collect images from the blast sites.
Lame politicians as usual and please, no one talk about God. Suketu Mehta discusses the blasts in the city online at the Washington Post.
28 comments
Since the dawn of civilisation Bharat Barsha …. the land encompassing India, Pakistan , Nepal , Bangladesh have shown restraint, respect and tolerence to the rest of the world.
Now that a particular group of people worshipping the evil of terror, sons of Bharatbarsha, killing their brothers !! Can she simply watch and do nothing !! How long would Mother just stand like an epitome of patience and bear the pains ? How long ?
India, Pakistan Nepal Srilanka .. all standing on the verge of major terrorist eruption. Only a total change in political, social and religous attitude can protect the millions people from the future calamities. BUT HOW ??? Am I not repeating the same old mantra !!
YES … this time the change neeed to brought by the Young educated ppl of India, pakistan, Srilanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan ….
We can’t depend upon bearucrats, politicians, police officials. Its impossible to ensure security for billions ppl for a govt (a dumb govt !!).
They can only vaguely seek meanigless cooperation from G8 nations.
I agree to the bold opinion of rustom jamasji.
We need an independent unified Humanity Protection Group …. to protect the endangered humanity. We all share the same identity which cannot be determined just by religion, language or place.
Comrades its time to be united against violence. May be one great leader like Che emerge from people and lead the united military group across borders to eliminate the terrorists and make the world safe and beautiful for future generations.
As we are aware of MUMBAI BLASTS,what a terrible blast was it? I strongly think that the TERRORISM in our country is soo much that it is even difficult to go out of our house at 5:00pm onwards.
WHY IT IS SO? Why can not we live and feel secure in our country?
As we are deeply corrupted.Why there is no political leadership?
Why ????
WE THE CITIZEN OF OUR NATION, PROMISE THAT WE WILL FIGHT AGAINST THE TERRORISM IN OUR COUNTRY.
Please come and be a part of it.
If any points to be discuss, can be discuss with me at my E-mail address : nikibhardwaj@rediffmail.com .
If God wamted the Middle East to have the H-bomb, he would have. Instead, he gave it to a country with a lot less hate and a lot more brains!
terorist do that to cacth world reaction, so if the world is over-reactive than they will happy and make another blasts..
in Bali, after the bomb blasting, the goverment make more security rules in every building, but they also said for the people to stay calm and do not afraid, because if we are afraid than their mission is succeed.. so after the bomb, we pretend that the bomb never happened in bali.. so right now everything run just like before..
Neha,Bombing at mumbai is disasters, we must avoid this happen to ather place together.
This successful attack by these terrorists is unfurling many facts at hand.
1. The frustration of these terrorists
2. The real danger of cross-border terrorism and how easy it looks
3. The ineffectiveness of crisis managment in India
4. The lip service by the world
5. A complete chaos and confusion in Mumbai
6. Bad policing activity- Just see those onlookers. What are they doing there?
rest on my blog- mindscout.wordpress.com
As a Pakistani, I too find it intriguing that only days ago, for the first time, the reach and influence of indigenous Indian terror groups was being registered for the first time, with the arrest of two serving senior Indian army officers with links to Hindu terror groups involved in major terrorism acts; acts that were blamed on Muslims. And now suddenly we have a spectacular incident, too sophisticated for any foreigner to execute without massive facilitation and support base, where allegedly Muslim terrorists have left behind an ID card and a cell phone with a SIM card originating in a ‘neighboring’ country. How convenient. They should have checked better since they could have also found an ISI staff card on one of the dead terrorists. There are close to 100 groups in India, of all shades, fighting the Indian state and people, including Hindu terrorist groups. India should get its own house in order before blaming ‘neighbors’. This coming from a country where close to 600 Christians were killed just a couple of months back by Hindu groups, and 2500 Indian Muslims were burned alive in the 21st century’s first incident of genocide, in 2002 and where Kashmiri, Dalit, and other minority women are raped everyday as part of Hindu
religious oppression. Please read analysis given below and the attached report that exposes India’s own problem for which it is making Pakistan a scape goat.
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For the past many weeks, the biggest story in India was involvement of Indian Military Intelligence officers in orchestrated acts of terrorism against Muslims to create a Hindu-Muslim riot situation as well as to create a justification for war against Pakistan. Many Indian army
officers were caught and Indian Police was forced to work deeper into finding more BJP, Bajrang Dal and RSS terrorists in Indian military and Intelligence setup. This story had created a serious panic in Indian Military and their Fascist patrons in Hindu Zionists. Something had to be done to divert the attention of the world and Indian public from acts of terrorism by Hindu Hardliners. …..
Then comes the Mumbai Massacre.
Even when the shootings were going on in hotels, Indian media and army
were blaming Pakistan for the attacks. The game is clear and sinister.
The Indian Intelligence have diverted the global attention towards
another issue where they would blame Pakistan for this slaughter and
use Barack Obama’s doctrine of attacks on Pakistan to encircle Pakistan
from both sides. It is such a shame that media is not highlighting this
issue and is only repeating what Indians want the world to see and
believe.
There is no such group in India as Daccan Mujahideen.
In the coming days, Indian/Pakistani Masses should prepare for a high
risk threat response as CIA/RAW/MOSSAD would go to any limit to open
another front against Pakistan to divert the local and world attention
from their internal fascist elements in Hindu Zionists and military
intelligence.
May Allah protect Pakistan and India from all enemies.
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The Hilarious Performance Of The Indian Government
The Indian media is playing exactly the same role as the U.S. media did
in 2001 for attacking Afghanistan and then Iraq in 2004. Recall Proofs
for 9/11 and WMD case against Iraq. Some Indian channels have begun
showing the Indian flag and patriotic songs, all of which makes it look
like as if this is yet another ‘well anticipated’ war against terror.
Or against Pakistan. But the best part is the response of the Indian
government and military. Simply hilarious.
By ATIF
Friday, 28 November 2008.
http://WWW.AHMEDQURAISHI.COM
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan-I watched this drama all night on eight different
satellite news channels and noticed how pathetic and incompetent Indian
government and security really is.
There is a total chaos in this city, Mumbai, and even the media doesn’t
know what to tell the people. One minute they say, ‘they are all
Pakistanis’, and then go, ‘Oh no! Wait, they are “Deccan Mujahedeen”‘
and then say, ‘Wait! It’s too early to say .’!
Another bullshit you see is that the Taj Hotel perhaps has 1000+ rooms
and is so huge surrounded by commandos and all security forces and yet
4 to 5 terrorists continue to hold it for so long.
No mater how super these men might be, 4-5 people simply can not hold
such a huge building hostage. So WHAT IS THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT HIDING?
If the Indians admit that there are several dozen perhaps even hundreds
of people involved in this then it would be very hard to sell this lie
that these are terrorists and spy agents who came from Pakistan.
I did not see a single helicopter in the air or any attempt by the
Indian security forces to go on the roof and/or surround the hotel. Are
they scared or is it that India simply does not have an air force?
Indian commandos arrived. These commandos were disembarking from
trucks, holding truck railings at the back and then jumping out, almost
like old crumbled men. I saw few of them standing on one hip holding
their hands, ome of them hiding behind blockades.
So this was the level of Indian security and military response. Now
about some other observations:
HOSTAGE:
Apparently foreigners and Jews have been taken hostage but this was not
admit publicly to the media until 23 hours later. Why would suicide
bombers and terrorists hold hostages? Why not simply finish them off if
they have really come to die?
India’s Mumbai is well known to be owned by the underworld, known in
India as ‘bhai loag’ [roughly translated Brother People]. These
terrorists are so good they managed to kill so many including top
Anti-Terrorism Force official who happened to be an officer of RAW, the
Indian intelligence agency.
But the Indians are stupid. Instead of admitting their failure to
control these gangs of smugglers and thugs they are blaming their usual
and favorite scapegoats, A.K.A. Islamic Militants and Pakistan.
The fact will be established eventually that there already appears to
be a much deeper conspiracy in all this tragic event.
But the Indian media is playing exactly the same role as the U.S. media
did in 2001. Some Indian channels have begun showing the Indian flag
and patriotic songs, all of which makes it look like as if this is yet
another ‘well anticipated’ war against terror.
Which in fact may turn into a war against Pakistan at its height or war
against Muslims in India at the least.
For how long will the world continue to fall in this trap?
There are several gains Indian will get from this act:
1- Election of Radical Hindu Nationalist Party
2- Passage of an Indian version of Patriot Act (against Muslims)
3- A Possible Indian attack on Pakistan [although the Indians don’t
have the guts to go that far]
4- Possibility of Indian lobby forcing United States to put sanctions
on Pakistan by fabricating false evidence involving Pakistanis in this.
Which is really easy for India. They can come up with a few Pakistanis
from Indian jails, handing them weapons and produce dead bodies of
Pakistanis from these places.
Atif is an avid Pakistani blogger. He can be reached at
atif98@yahoo.com