Read the complete article published at OpenDemocracy right here.
I have tried to incorporate everyone's point of view in the article. However, I do stick to my earlier assertion that the people of Lalgarh are stuck between a rock and a hard place. They have lost faith in the government and political parties and know it is a huge safety and economic risk to fall back on the outlawed Maoists.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Chilling documentary on Mumbai's 26/11 by Channel 4
Britain's Channel 4 produced a documentary on the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai last year. They have used CCTV footage from the Taj, the Oberoi and VT Station, interviews with civilians and police officers who witnessed the attacks, the initial police interrogation of the captured militant Ajmal Kasab and telephone conversations allegedly recorded between militants on the ground in Mumbai and their controllers in the terrorist outfit, the Lashkar-e-Toiba.
The video is a chilling reminder of the ease with which a handful of gunmen held one of the world's largest cities hostage for over 48 hours. A few interesting points to notice in the video are:
- The inability of policemen at VT Station to tackle two young, inexperienced gunmen due to a sheer lack of security organization at the railway hub and the malfunction of their own guns.
- The militants who are in charge of holding The Taj Mahal Hotel hostage are in complete awe of its interior grandeur. Their controller seems to have to constantly remind them of their mission and not be distracted by what they saw around them.
- The young gunmen seemed little informed about the course of action they were to undertake once at their various locations. One wonders how such a seemingly unsophisticated operation on the ground was so successful.
- The controllers of the LeT have absolutely no concern for their men on the ground - in this case young men who have been promised unending wealth for their families and heaven for themselves.
Channel 4 has unfortunately pulled down the video earlier available on YouTube. Wider reaction in the media regarding its absolute authenticity and the many questions regarding urban security, terrorist recruitment, etc. are still not available.
The video is a chilling reminder of the ease with which a handful of gunmen held one of the world's largest cities hostage for over 48 hours. A few interesting points to notice in the video are:
- The inability of policemen at VT Station to tackle two young, inexperienced gunmen due to a sheer lack of security organization at the railway hub and the malfunction of their own guns.
- The militants who are in charge of holding The Taj Mahal Hotel hostage are in complete awe of its interior grandeur. Their controller seems to have to constantly remind them of their mission and not be distracted by what they saw around them.
- The young gunmen seemed little informed about the course of action they were to undertake once at their various locations. One wonders how such a seemingly unsophisticated operation on the ground was so successful.
- The controllers of the LeT have absolutely no concern for their men on the ground - in this case young men who have been promised unending wealth for their families and heaven for themselves.
Channel 4 has unfortunately pulled down the video earlier available on YouTube. Wider reaction in the media regarding its absolute authenticity and the many questions regarding urban security, terrorist recruitment, etc. are still not available.
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