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New Delhi (IANS) On the night of November 26, 2008, the usual bustle of Mumbai suddenly erupted with gunfire, explosions and flames. What had started as a normal evening turned into an unforgettable nightmare with a siege that tested the courage of its people, injured countless families and was forever etched in the memory of the country.
Across nearly 60 hours of fast-paced action, stories of extraordinary achievements emerge – of the brave men who looked terrorists straight in the eye, of the ordinary civilians who became heroes in the line of duty.
Meet Praveen Kumar Tewatia, a former member of MARCOS or Marine Commando, who was awarded the Shaurya Chakra for his gallantry at the Taj Mahal Hotel in the 26/11 terrorist attack.
Praveen was hit by five bullets that day, one of which grazed his ear and the other broke his ribs, damaging his right lung. Despite his injury and the dark room where the terrorists had already accommodated themselves, he managed to fend them off until his comrades rescued 150 people from a nearby hall.
“I was among the two (Marcos) teams that were already present at the location where we were, a total of 24-25 commandos who had entered the compound through different means,” he said.
MARCOS, a special forces unit of the Indian Navy, was raised in February 1987 and is known for its expertise in unconventional warfare, counter-terrorism operations and conducting high-risk missions. They are recognized for their professionalism and versatility, whether on water, air or land.
Notable operations in which elite commandos were involved were Operation Cactus to thwart a coup in the Maldives in 1988, the Kargil War in 1999 and several anti-piracy operations. But what was he thinking on that fateful day in Mumbai?
“There was no specific idea at that time except neutralizing terrorists and saving the lives of innocent people,” said the 40-year-old, who is now practicing law in Delhi after being discharged from the services.
He said, “For a soldier, serving his country and its citizens, being able to eliminate any threat against them is a privilege.”
He said, “I was involved in many operations in Kashmir also, but that day in Taj, I was angry at these foreign-breed terrorists who were challenging our country.”
He is possibly the only person to survive such lung damage, where he spent 19 days in hospital under intensive care.
Despite a damaged lung, he participates in marathons and is still fit and agile. During those fateful hours in November, when Praveen and his colleagues were dodging bullets and rescuing people, there was a young reporter among the media persons gathered outside the Taj.
But Mahrukh Inayat stood out for her in-depth and intense reporting which continued for more than 60 hours. His reporting was praised in media reports for being “at the center of it all” and doing “a good job”.
Recalling those days, he said, “It had been 36 hours since I was reporting outside the iconic Taj Hotel in Mumbai. By then, around a hundred journalists from across the country and the world were present there, reporting on the biggest terror attack in Mumbai.”
“I didn’t hear a shot, but a bullet hit somewhere to my left and someone yelled ‘Duck – they’re shooting at us.’
She was lying on the streets, the Taj was in front of her.
“At the same time, one camera was focused on me while the other kept its lens focused on the hotel. I was then thinking about letting people know what was happening on the ground.”
It was only much later that the now decorated newsman realized that the image of him reporting on events while lying there, ignoring the firing, became a kind of “moment” in ground reporting.
“I didn’t even know. I was just busy trying to understand what was happening and report it as calmly as I could,” she said, “but it was the hardest thing to stay calm given the situation.”
There are many other stories of strength and dedication, many of whose contributions will perhaps be underappreciated, but they all matter in the country’s fight against terror.
–IANS
JB/and