Photobucket had recently changed their policy and now all the images from my 650+ blog posts are disabled. I am slowly editing them by moving my images to my own server at AWS, but it will take time. In case there is a particular old post you want to see the images of, kindly drop me a mail at mizohican@gmail.com and I'll keep that at a high priority. Thank you.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Chp 213. Mumbai Burning



Technology sure has changed the way we communicate.

We no longer rely on the cranky AIR radio or the sometimes biased Television News network as our source of information. First there was the mobile phone, where smsing bridged the divide among many people.

Now there is twitter.

With the vast number of people twitting simultaneously about the latest Mumbai news, TV channels have definitely taken a back seat.

101 dead so far according to CNN-IBN. Utterly horrifying!

As for me, I stayed in office last night. Unlike other nights when we sometimes stay over in office the whole night due to project deadlines, last night was different. I stayed back because I didn’t want to take any chances. It was a completely different feeling.

Even at 5 in the morning I was still wide awake in office, watching the LIVE twitter updates and also the LIVE news streaming by CNN-IBN, while taking part in various discussion forums and battling the millions of mosquitoes biting me at the same time.

5 in the morning I could still see a lot of lights in the apartments around our office. Everybody’s glued to the TV. Seriously, who could sleep?

When we first heard the news around 10-11 pm last night, the news was "Two rival gang members shot at each other, no casualties" and we just shrugged it off. Oh how wrong that information turned out to be!!!

I called up the student and welfare leaders of our Mizo Association this morning and fortunately there were no Mizos among the victims.

Watching the death of so many innocent victims and top cops and encounter specialists really makes my blood boil. I can’t even find words venomous enough from my limited vocabulary to describe how I feel about those damn terrorists.

But if you really think about it, that’s exactly what these terrorists want. Put in fear and suspicion among the citizens.

I’m definitely staying in office for the rest of the day, until I get the green light. Kedar and the others are watching "Hotel Rwanda". Quite ironic. But I think that’s the mood all of us are in right now. I’ll go join them as soon as I publish this post.

Had Maggie for Brunch. Quite filling, although there is a strange emptiness and uneasiness in my stomach which is not due to hunger.

Speaking of lunch, my dabba didn’t come of course. Who cares. 6 Sigma status can hang. It’s the last thing on anyone’s mind. Likewise I went out to smoke a couple of hours ago. The street was deserted. I smoked at a place which was the safest place around my office. Health Minister Ramadoss’ diktat was the last thing on my mind.

Saw a couple of Army trucks patrolling last night. Reassuring, in a very melancholic way. Today there were a couple of helicopters hovering around the city. My colleague said the tension is worse than what he experienced during the communal riots of 92-93.

In the midst of all these, news are flashing of the terrorists managing to hijack two police vans and the police warning every Mumbaikar to stay away from the roads! Things are getting scarier and scarier.

More updates may come later.

I don’t know what’s wrong with me. A few years ago I would be itching to reach such destinations and witness the incidents with my own eyes. When Bangalore burnt, I was there walking amidst the burning tyres blogging about it. Now I am holed up as safely as I could be, not willing to take any risk. Could it be old age?



Let’s remember all those who died in our prayers.







25 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's called 'common sense', not old age

Mizohican said...

Its old age :P

Anonymous said...

TechCrunch did a roundup of where you get latest info which was appeared Techmeme frontpage.

We (India) don't often get to the front page on Techmeme

Sekibuhchhuak said...

Hi bro, News ka lo hriat khan ka rilru ah i lo lang hmasa ber a. misual dot com a i comment kha ka chhiar bawk a, rilru a dam sawng sawng e.

Terrorist ho chet dan hi chu rapthlak thin ngawt mai. India sorkar hian na deuh tak a abeih zui ngai in ka hria. Tun hnaia thil thleng ho hian thinlung an tidam mawlh lo !

Mizohican said...

@ Ben: Thats good, although the reason why it made it to the frontpage is sad :(

@ Seki: Thanx for your concern bro. Nakinah news chiang deuh te pawh rawn lut zel se, eng group chiah nge an nih pawh chiang deuhvin rawn chhuak se, kan la sawi dawn nia an chanchin chu. An hahthlak ve a ni sawi tawp chuan. Engmah pawh contribute ve mang silo, bomb tih puah dan chauh hre mai. Huiham.

Mizohican said...

Leaving office now finally, after about 35 hours here. Need to freshen up badly. Going to meet some of the people who had a narrow escape last night. They work at Taj Palace and their shift just got over, when this happened. They truly are lucky. Unfortunately, some of their colleagues were not. More news tomorrow. See you all everyone.

Anonymous said...

CNN Blogger list ah ka lo chang reng che a:-) Good to know that you and the other Mizos are safe. It is very shocking and I am still numb...
I hawdak tawh lo chu a tha:-) I think as we get older, we realise that we are not immortals:-)
skimi

Pixie said...

Thank God you are alright!!!
I was very worried about you, since you were one guy I know sort-of-personally who lives in Mumbai...
Hugs to you!

Hope your family and friends and friends of friends are all safe...

wonderboy said...

ka mu hman chiah a thoh ka hai zui ta bawk sia, paper pawh chhiar hman lo in ka chhuak leh ta daih sia misual atang in ka hre chauh a rilruah i lo lang hmasa ber a!!! nang leh Mizo te in him a a lawmawm luttuk ringawt!!!

Almostunreal said...

sorry haven't called....glad to see that you are alright

Lucy In The Sky said...

It's definitely old age.

Thanks for the update, Sugar. I couldn't watch our TV so basically, I was clueless of the actual incidents until this morning. There are some videos on youtube, one of them showed a drive by shooting.

VaiVa said...

Kan sumo chuanna pa mobile ah SMS a rawn thleng a. Nimin chhunah ka hre ve chiah a. Nizan khan Aizawl thlen veleh hmanzana muthlu peih deuh kha, 8:30pm khan CSTa an inkahna kha a rawn chhuahsan hman chiah chiah a.

Nizan Burkha Dutt i news comment NDTV ah ka en reng laiin, ka nu ngaihsan deuh mai Sobha De thinrim tawngkam vel kha ka lo ngaih thla a.

Heng terrorosts ho zet hi chuan min va han ti mangang teh lul em? Vijay Salaskar leh Hemant Karkare(ATS Chief) pawh media lamin an sawi chhiat nen a, an han thih meuh chuan chawimawi that leh a n tum a nih hi Media ho zet hi chu!

Anonymous said...

what has man become ? craze world...
i pray for the departed

Mizohican said...

@ skimi: Yup it was indeed shocking Pi Kimi, and even today there is still a lot of tension and uncertainty in the air. Whenever we go outside, everybody's looking everywhere. All of us are ready to jump up at the least noise. The siege at the buildings in South Mumbai are still going on. Almost 2 days now!

@ Pixie: Thanx a lot for your concern dear. All my friends are fortunately safe, but most of my friends have a friend or two who died in the carnage, which is really sad :( Last night I went and met some of the people who work in Taj and had just left the hotel before the terrorists took over. They were still shocked. Many of their colleagues are dead :(

@ Almost: Thanx, its ok. Phones are busy most of the time anyway. I'm charging my phone most of the time, unlike any other normal day.

@ wonderboy: Thanx a lawmawm lutuk min lo ngaihtuah hlawm a. Hei nizan chu Mizo ho ka tlawh kuala, Taj a thawk ho te leh midangho. Tlem a moral support va pek ve mai mai te hi an ngai. An thiante ho an chan hnem lutuka, an khawngaihthlak khawp mai.

Mizo ho in hmu khawm pawh kan thahnem viau e. Sandman ka ni tih tuman an hre lova, mahse "Sandman" a chanchin an han sawi tan chiah kha chu minlo rel palh ka hlau lutuka rang lutuk tunge ka nih ka sawi nghal a lawm :D

Mizohican said...

@ Lucy: Its quite terrible here dear. And the whole incident is still not over even now. Bad scene here. I want to go to Churchgate to help but the entire area is cordoned off, so the next best thing I could do was visit the people I know who lost somebody they know... Like last night, tonight I will be visiting other people again.

zogeek: It is indeed a crazy world. Thanx for your prayers for the departed souls. We need more prayers and support for them.

@ Vaiva: eeeee boss, i vannei teng teng khawp mai!!!!! Lo la awm ta u la chuan, enge a sawi theih miahlo. Leopold's bul ve saw in kal zing bawk sia :)

Nizan mi ka tlawh kualna a tlangval pakhat ST an a lo sawi che a, i vanneih zia chungchang vel. Kan ti ti hrep a lawm a mah nen chuan. Sandman ka ni tih ka in sawi hnu chuan "Nang hi a ni maw TBC a nen Sunday tin Inkhawm tura kan nghah ve ziah a, last minute ah chhuanlam rawn siam ve ziah hi?" a ti :D

Anonymous said...

Kima, I was even more shocked to hear that Hemant Karkare, one of the finest Indian officers I have come across died in the encounter on the first night. He was stationed in Vienna for 6 years, and he was so helpful and such a nice man. Ka ui lutuk...

Anonymous said...

oops forgot to sign my name -Pi Kimi:-) I cannot log in and hence have to use anon to comment here.

Bobby Revell said...

Hi Kima, it's best to let the authorities handle it, but I understand the feeling. I felt the same way after 9-11.

I'm still awaiting news on exactly who is responsible and why they did it. The news here is saying that Americans were the targets, but many local citizens got caught up in it. I have no idea what to think as I believe the news to be filled with lies.

I hope there is no more terror attacks and I will keep you and your country in my prayers:)

mangbuhril said...

kim, thank God you and others are fine. See the bright side, you blog get updated and it's a one hell of an experience which comes rarely

DayDreamBeliever said...

hey there.... ka hriat velah khan Kima leh Mesjay tih ka rilru ah in lo awm nghal a. Glad to know your safe and sound. I don't care what you call it, just hole up as safe as safe can be till everything blows over

Hriatpuia Pa said...

HOme Minister a bang a, an inthlak ta a. India chuan a ngai te bawkin Pakistan lam a kawk leh tawh maw? Engmah tih tak2 awm si lova Pakistan kawh leh rikngawt thin hi a va hun lo. Terrorist-te chetna dang pawh a thlegn leh maithei an ti a nia. Mizo awm vete ngaihtuah a na thin teh e....

Hriatpuia Pa said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

taj a dinner i ei loh zan a ni hlauhva i vannei hle mai! Ni seng chuan a khuh na tur che in Arsenal flag nen mumbai ka rawn thlawk lut ang!

tak tak a, office chhungah i lo la awm hlauh chu a lawmawm hle mai (in a aw loh rau rau ah). Lawmthu sawi tawngtai kha i lo uar lo palh ang e.

-pi black

Mariuca said...

It is the old age, though you're not even 30 yet! ;)

I am glad u stayed in the office, keep safe Sandman and BIG HUGS! :):):)

Anonymous said...

Bravo, your phrase simply excellent [url=http://cgi2.ebay.fr/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=acheter_levitra_ici_1euro&achat-levitra]acheter levitra generique[/url] Also that we would do without your remarkable idea