Amazing coincidences

November 26, 2008 was the blackest Wednesday Bombay is ever likely to witness — a day that will go down in history as one where 10 youngsters from our neighboring country held the mighty financial capital of the largest democracy in the world to ransom for 60 hours, despite having the full force of the Bombay Police, Naval Commandos, National Security Guards (NSG) and what have you, pitted against them. It was a day that shook not only India but the entire world.

In an amazing string of coincidences, the movements and path taken by the terrorists show that they were literally on a pilgrimage of places with a Parsi/Irani connection.

They landed at Machhimar Nagar, at the head of Cuffe Parade at 9.15 p.m., a stone’s throw from where once stood the famous Golwalla Baths swimming pool and Friends’ Cabin, an exceedingly popular mutton samosa joint of the 1940s and 50s — owned by a Parsi and an Irani respectively. After landing they split and a group of four evidently made their way towards Electric House, passing the erstwhile Wellington Mews, now owned by the Tatas. From Electric House, they turned left and landed at Leopold Café (a popular Irani restaurant, founded in 1871, frequented by persons of all nationalities). Here the first shots of the siege of Bombay were fired and a number of innocent customers and bystanders killed. The terrorists then moved to the lane behind the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel which they entered, guns blazing and lobbing hand grenades, killing indiscriminately.

Another group of two probably took the Katpitia Lane, passing the hoary old Kavarana Mansion (both Parsi names), onto Colaba Causeway and Nariman House near the Colaba Market, where a lot of action was to follow with NSG commandos being dropped by helicopters. This house also once belonged to Parsis, though it is now being used as a Jewish guest house.

Another group of two terrorists took a taxi to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), formerly known as Victoria Terminus. They probably went via the Oval, passing the statues of three venerable old Parsis situated at the north-east corner of the Oval, at the Bombay University, not far from the Rajabai Tower and in the premises of the High Court; past the popular Bhikha Behram well, the old Tata Palace on to the station situated on Dr Dadabhai Naoroji Road. At CST, they butchered over 50 innocent commuters and policemen before taking the subway under the road and surfacing near the imposing statue of Sir Pherozeshah Mehta at the entrance to the Bombay Municipal Corporation building. They then moved on to the Cama and Albless Hospital, where they shot dead three top officers of Bombay and Maharashtra Police, commandeered their vehicle and drove towards Metro cinema. They again fired at innocent people on the road, not far from the Framjee Cawasjee Institute before speeding off towards Churchgate, past the statue of Sir Dinshaw Vachha opposite the Eros Cinema, down Veer Nariman Road, Marine Drive to Chowpatty, Girgaum, where they were confronted by the police. One of the terrorists was killed, and Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only one to live through the ordeal was injured and captured, not very far from the gracious Adenwalla Mansion overlooking the bay.

The remaining two sped away in a speed boat and landed at Marine Drive opposite the Oberoi Hotel at Nariman Point, where they entered the lobby with guns blazing, killing people having their dinner.

Not having had enough of Parsis, they managed to kill three very promising members of our small community — Farokh Dinshaw, a black belt karate instructor, Rohinton Maloo, an expert in media and technology marketing, and Kaizad Kamdin, considered among the best chefs in the country.

Thus ended the saga of 10 brutally cruel but well trained and dedicated young men who changed the way men will look at terrorism in future.

PHIROZE B. ILLAVA

Mhow

illavapb@gmail.com