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Open Letter to Terrorists in Mumbai … From A Bombay Girl
Here are two moving and heart-warming write-ups I came across during the past two days following Mumbai (India) killer explosions.
These ‘letters’ deserve our attention for the simple reason that they are so different from the cries emerging thousands of miles away wanting ‘vendetta’, ‘eye for an eye’, etc, from people (including bloggers) who claim they are the most ‘sane and civilized’ persons.
The link to the first ‘letter’ was sent by Joe Gandelman. That was an email from a young American woman, Caitlin, caught in the chaos in Mumbai (earlier known as Bombay) immediately after the blasts in the trains.
The second is an ‘open letter’ to terrorists sent by a friend who lives in both Mumbai and Delhi. She, Namrata Bansal, works as a Senior Executive with India’s leading business company. Here is the letter:
“OPEN LETTER TO TERRORISTS”
“Dear Terrorist,
Even if you are not reading this we don’t care. Time and again you
tried to disturb us and disrupt our life – killing innocent civilians by planting bombs in trains, buses and cars.
“You have tried hard to bring death and destruction, cause panic and fear and create communal disharmony but everytime you were disgustingly unsuccessful.
“Do you know how we pass our life in Mumbai? How much it takes for us to earn that single rupee? If you wanted to give us a shock then we are sorry to say that you failed miserably in your ulterior motives.
“Better look elsewere, not here. We are not Hindus and Muslims or Gujaratis and Marathis or Punjabis and Bengaliies. Nor do we distinguish ourselves as owners or workers, govt. employees or private employees.
“WE ARE MUMBAIKERS (Bombay-ites, if you like). We will not allow you to disrupt our life like this. On the last few occassions when you struck (including the 7 deadly blasts in a single day killing over 250 people and injuring 500+ in 1993), we went to work next day in full strength.
“This time we cleared everything within a few hours and were back to normal – the vendors placing their next order, businessmen finalizing the next deals and the office workers rushing to catch the next train. (Yes the same train you targetted).
“Fathom this: Within 3 hours of the blasts, long queues of blood donating volunteers were seen outside various hospital, where most of the injured were admitted. By 12 midnight, the hospital had to issue a notification that blood banks were full and they didn’t require any more blood.
“The next day, attendance at schools and office was close to 100%, trains & buses were packed to the brim, the crowds were back. The city has simply dusted itself off and moved one – perhaps with greater vigour. We are Mumbaikers and we live like brothers in times like this.
“So, do not dare to threaten us with your crackers. The spirit of Mumbai is very strong and can not be harmed. Please forward this to others. U never know, by chance it may come to hands of a terrorist in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iraq and he can then read this message which is specially meant for him!!!
“With Love,
“From the people of Mumbai (Bombay)”
Interesting, that these two letters should come from two young women, one American and the other Indian (both probably in their Twenties) living or visiting Mumbai when the mighty explosions shook the cosmopolitan and financial hub of India.
14 Responses to “Open Letter to Terrorists in Mumbai … From A Bombay Girl”
Beautiful!
Swaraaj, thanks for that post. Indeed, beautiful!
Thanks, Swaraaj. Got a text from Caitlin yesterday: “Wats my bloodtype?” Now I know why.
excerpt…
These ‘letters’ deserve our attention for the simple reason that they are so different from the cries emerging thousands of miles away wanting ‘vendetta’, ‘eye for an eye’, etc, from people (including bloggers)
who claim they are the most ‘sane and civilized’ persons.
Well, when they get to disemboweling Muslim women as they have done in past revenge attacks, you may have to eat your words Swaraaj.
These are merely the words one would expect from a woman. I’m sure there are thousands of revenge comments coming primarily from angry men that you have decided not to re-publish.
After 9/11 I think we had one revenge killing. Yes Swaraaj I think we are more civilized than India.
Too bad the disrupted lives “terrorists hiding under my porch” cowards in this nation don’t have the positive attitude and guts this little lady does.
Sal, I am not trying to offend you, but, from some of your vascillating replies I think you may have written “The Pit and the Pendulum” for intentionally or not, pendulous you are.
Chippedchips
I spent a decade in the Middle east and horn of Africa. I didn’t do this protected inside some American community compound either. In fact I was not even around Americans.
Indians permeate the area having migrated away from Indian poverty and violence. What I have seen Indians do for money transgresses all bounds of civilized behavior. I know exactly what I am talking about. However, what I have specifically
stated above, is a matter of public record not even requiring my testimony of personal experience.
“Vascillating” is a rather strong word since it implies cowardice. Especially joined with the rest of your post. So don’t say you are not trying to offend me because that was exactly your intent. If not then please reword your statement so that I may clearly understand your true intent.
Rather than ask a question, you decided to make a statement. Another obvious reference depicting intent. Since I have not posted anything against you or your comments, I assume you are attempting to make a noble jesture on behalf of someone whom will never read your words.
My contention is this: All of this common and decades old Indian sectarian violence rehash is just taking away from the fact that Iraq is now in an Official Civil War, (albeit laughably called “low grade”). Which is far more my concern and indeed the REAL story being deflected away.
What is happening in India is nothing new at all. To imply that India, in all its historical self slaughter, is somehow more civilized than the United States simply because of some ignoramous diaper arsed Gandhi, frankly is extremely offensive.
India is a friggen mess. Any “advice” coming from there castigating the United States as uncivilized can be taken with as much value as a spinach commercial in a Popeye cartoon.
When the subject of Rwanda comes up, maybe I will tell you what I have seen Indians do for money.
What an idiotic response. I bet these folks have the luxury of sitting and mouthing such inane stuff as “Dear” terrorist because none of their body parts was blown up in the attack nor were any of their family blown to pieces.
Truth is, everyone who escaped probably is thanking their lucky stars that it was the poor bloke and not them or their family who fell to this barbaric act. Asking for a little empathy is probably asking too much in an urban environment where people have grown accustomed to self-indulgence while at the same time they can watch fellow human beings suffer on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, folks mistake this indifference for SPIRIT and therefore come up with this kind of stuff like New York spirit, London spirit and now the Mumbai spirit. Next time, try indifference instead.
A response exhibiting TRUE SPIRIT would be a deep sense of LOSS and outrage followed by a resolve to demand action from the government and relevant authorities responsible for providing security.
I think the person who wrote this letter is a sheep in human clothing. This is analogous to a meat farm where a butcher will come every once in a while and slaughter some sheep from the flock while the rest keep bleating for a little while then resume their activity oblivious of their own fate.
Mumbaikars have now become that flock of sheep that the terrorists can come slaughter whenever they want their agenda to be splashed onto the world stage.
Imagine this letter being read to the likes of Abu al-Hadeed and Abu Abdul Rehman al-Ansari.
Incredible and wonderul letter!
Interesting responses in this post. By the way, we have the entire world of animal prototypes reflected within human beings.
Tigers and lions (becoming extinct), sheep and goats (multiplying fast),jackals and hyenas (becoming extinct), foxes and rabbits (becoming extinct) and deer family (again becoming extinct).
The lesson: Those who have extreme tendencies would not survive for a long either ferocious or very gentle, and even too clever.
Omar what the NATURE is gently telling you is that “it is the meek who would inhabit the world” and the ferocious ones would either become meek or vanish from the earth!!!
Of course, the choice is yours.
“Omar what the NATURE is gently telling you is that “it is the meek who would inhabit the world” and the ferocious ones would either become meek or vanish from the earth!!!”
Er, if you paid some attention in your evolution class it is the cockroaches and rats who will have the ultimate triumph.
The only reason why there’s more sheep and cattle is because they are being bred and fed by humans. Left out on their own these species wouldn’t fare any better than the rest you mentioned.
At 80, Godavari Thorat wants to bid Mumbai farewell. She can no longer bear to live in the city that took away Vishwas, her only son, on Tuesday.
A native of Pune, Godavari came to Mumbai in 1959 after her marriage to Anand Thorat. Back then, she says, it was a safe city. “There was sense of belonging and brotherhood. Today, there is no guarantee of life here.”
A heart attack took away her husband in 1972, but Godavari stayed on with her two children — Vishwas (then
and his elder sister Chitra. Chitra married and moved to Pune two years ago. Vishwas stayed unmarried, living with his mother for 34 years until July 11 brought his life to a halt.
“He served me more than any daughter-in-law could,” says Godavari. “He cooked, washed clothes and kept the house clean. I can’t believe he is no more.” What upsets her more is that Vishwas died because he was on his way home to serve her dinner. “He was extremely punctual. He made sure I would have my medicines on time. Had he left the office late, he would have been alive today,” she says.
Recalling that horrible Tuesday, she says she was initially hopeful her son would survive the attack. “He had met with accidents three times before. He was near Worli when the 1993 serial blasts occurred there, but was unharmed. I thought he would be lucky this time too. Even when he failed to come home, I expected to find his name on the list of injured, not the dead.”
Her daughter Chitra Surendra Pawar arrived from Pune to take her mother back with her. “My tears don’t stop,” she says. “Vishwas was my support in times of crisis. I don’t know where to go now.”
Chitra believes Mumbai has turned into a heartless city. “No one bothers about the dead. All they care about is money. In two days, people are back to work. The dead have been forgotten. On Tuesday, it was my brother. Next time, it will be someone else.”
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I guess poor Vishwas was at the top of the food chain and had to go.
Dear Terrorist:
Apart from causing an 80 year old griefstricken mother to leave her home and surroundings she knew for some 47 odd years, you really haven’t accomplished much else with your crackers.
Now excuse us while we go about the business of minding our business.
Love
From the sheeple of Mumbai.
Salmenio..once again no offense..but I resent the hell out of any one human and I mean anyone human calling any other humans animals.
And what do you want to bet I’ve spent more time in more countries around the world than you have Sal.
Every U S citizen, no matter how bad off they are should thank the powers that be that they live where they are, in the United States.
Sal, in India I’ve seen real animals, that have better living conditions, and are treated better than humans living in that nation. Even closer to home is Mexico and the Mexican plutocratic hierarchy controlled government that treat their own less than dirt, that drives them across our border.
I would just love to see the U S Government fully ARM and supply the illegal Mexicans AND THEN send them back so they could revolt against the Federalies and Plutocrats, bring Mexico into the 21st Century and make something out of Mexico, rather than them staying here turning our nation into another Mexico if current trends continue, because that is where we are rapidly headed.
Like Thomas Jefferson said, “A little revolution now and again is good for a nation.”
I say it more crudely,”Political RAT extermination.”
PING:
TITLE: An Open Letter Of A Courageous Lady
BLOG NAME: Liberty and Justice
Truly a magnificent letter.
And this is the spirit the terrorist will meet everywhere. Their goal is to cause chaos, dispair and discouragement, instead what they will be facing is greater determination than ever before to live in freedom and to proceed with life and a determination to capture and punish the ones responsible for horrific terrorist acts, such as the ones in London, Madrid, New York, Bombay, the murder of Theo van Gogh.
Just FYI, I linked to your article from Dear Terrorist Letters from around the globe