| |
| |
 |
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
MUMBAI, India: Two years have passed since 10 terrorists laid siege to India's financial capital Mumbai.
And while the shock of that nightmare has died down, the pain remains in the hearts of those who witnessed the killings.
For nurse, Anjali Vijay Kulthe, life has changed beyond recognition, with the 2008 Mumbai attacks still frozen in her mind.
She had just ended her shift when the terrorists entered Cama Hospital and started shooting.
She returned to the floor the gunmen were on, bolted the doors, and switched off all the lights.
Her quick thinking saved many lives.
"I locked the ward door and one-by one shifted all the patients to the kitchen pantry, a 10/10 room. We were there till the morning. One patient developed labour pains. She had to be shifted as she had developed complications. I called up the doctors but they advised against shifting here without security. But I gave her moral support and managed to take her to the labour room on the second floor."
For Sunil Pandey, saving lives has become his life's mission.
On November 26 2008, he watched helplessly as Nariman House was rocked by grenades and bullets.
He joined local residents in cordoning off the area to stop the terrorists from escaping.
Now, he works with a not-for-profit organization to teach disaster management.
"They started throwing grenades on the ground. Had we not thrown stones at them, they would have come down and laid down 100-200 bodies here. But we threw stones at them, pulled out the electricity lights and turned the area into a blackout zone. That's why it was impossible for them to come out. Had they come out, we would have been in trouble," he said.
Many tourists had shunned Mumbai after the attacks but two years later, the targeted locations are a must-see on their itineraries.
Many say it is Mumbai's resilience that keeps it going.
"Mumbai has remained the same as nothing will change ever, the locals have accepted it and moved on. They have adjusted to the situation," said Stephanie Camavan, a tourist from England.
The survivors and the families of those killed are still trying to piece their lives together. The wounds have not healed yet but the city remains unstoppable. For Mumbaikars, it will be business as usual on November 26.
-CNA/ac
|
