Dinesh jain
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At all the sites in Mumbai targeted by
terrorists on November 26, 2008, the gruesome
scars of that attack are no longer visible,
except at the Nariman House which housed
the Jewish Chabad. It is the only site in
Mumbai which has preserved the marks of
devastation inflicted by two of the 10 terrorists
who had attacked the Jewish Chabad and
killed a rabbi and his wife. At the other sites-
Taj Hotel, Trident, Leopold Cafe, Chhatrapati
Shivaji Terminus (railway station) and Cama
Hospital-have been given a makeover to
remove the physical scars left behind the
terrorists.
Nariman House
When Nariman House was opened again on
August 26 this year, the Jewish community
vowed that it would preserve the top two
floors as a museum. Dedicated to the memory
of slain rabbi Gabi and his wife Rivky
Holtzberg, Nariman House now has enhanced
security features-including reinforced steel
doors, electronic access and surveillance
cameras.
Though the restoration work in the lower floors
is almost complete, the Chabad is still not fully
operational. "There are prayer services
sometimes and some activities of the Jewish
community," said a Jewish follower who
supports the Chabad.
The Chabad-Lubavitch of Mumbai offers
Jewish education, outreach and social service
programmes for families and individuals of all
ages, backgrounds and affiliations. The work
for converting the top two floors into a
museum has not yet begun.
The Chabad would also be the only place in
Mumbai to house a memorial for all the 26/11
victims. The memorial on the terrace of
Nariman House would be in the shape of a
prism with the names of all those who were
killed during the terror attack.
Surveillance & Safety
On 26 November, 2008, the terrorists had gone
from Backbay in South Mumbai to different
locations undetected by the police. Following
the attack, an ambitious plan to cover Mumbai
under a network of high resolution surveillance
cameras was mooted. However, the project
remained only on paper due to lack of political
in the previous Congress-NCP government. But
now, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who
also holds the home portfolio, has expedited
the process to install 5,000 CCTV cameras at
key points in Mumbai. As the last hurdles in
the project have been cleared, the work on the
installation of cameras would start soon.
Coastal Security
The 124-km coastline of Mumbai continues to
be most vulnerable despite the presence of
several forces, including the Indian Navy,
Coast Guard and Marine Police. The previous
state government had purchased boats, and
had got together some officers and policemen
and called it Marine Police. The policemen
undergo one-month training with the Coast
Guard that includes only one week on the
seas. But the reality is quite bleak. No one
wants to join the Marine Police and only those
who do not wield enough influence to cancel
their transfer orders join the force. There have
been several instances in the past where the
Marine Police personnel have been rescued by
the Coast Guard.
Countering Terror
The delay in the arrival of the National Security
Guard (NSG) commandos in Mumbai during the
three-day siege gave terrorists more time to
unleash mayhem. Under severe criticism, the
then Congress-led government at the Centre
announced a hub in Mumbai for the elite
commandos.
The NSG reluctantly moved into the 23-acre
plot at Marol in Mumbai which they deemed
unsuitable for their requirements. The
commandos are forced to carry out counter-
terror drills during night time to avoid exposing
their tactical secrets to the curious residents
in nearby highrises. Not wanting to be
dependent on outside help in case of a terror
attack, Maharashtra Police set up its own
commando unit-Force One. Police officials
claimed that Force One has evolved into a
robust unit to counter terrorist attacks and
could respond to emergencies in 15 minutes.
Six years on, Mumbai still bears the scars of 26/11 attacks
terrorists on November 26, 2008, the gruesome
scars of that attack are no longer visible,
except at the Nariman House which housed
the Jewish Chabad. It is the only site in
Mumbai which has preserved the marks of
devastation inflicted by two of the 10 terrorists
who had attacked the Jewish Chabad and
killed a rabbi and his wife. At the other sites-
Taj Hotel, Trident, Leopold Cafe, Chhatrapati
Shivaji Terminus (railway station) and Cama
Hospital-have been given a makeover to
remove the physical scars left behind the
terrorists.
Nariman House
When Nariman House was opened again on
August 26 this year, the Jewish community
vowed that it would preserve the top two
floors as a museum. Dedicated to the memory
of slain rabbi Gabi and his wife Rivky
Holtzberg, Nariman House now has enhanced
security features-including reinforced steel
doors, electronic access and surveillance
cameras.
Though the restoration work in the lower floors
is almost complete, the Chabad is still not fully
operational. "There are prayer services
sometimes and some activities of the Jewish
community," said a Jewish follower who
supports the Chabad.
The Chabad-Lubavitch of Mumbai offers
Jewish education, outreach and social service
programmes for families and individuals of all
ages, backgrounds and affiliations. The work
for converting the top two floors into a
museum has not yet begun.
The Chabad would also be the only place in
Mumbai to house a memorial for all the 26/11
victims. The memorial on the terrace of
Nariman House would be in the shape of a
prism with the names of all those who were
killed during the terror attack.
Surveillance & Safety
On 26 November, 2008, the terrorists had gone
from Backbay in South Mumbai to different
locations undetected by the police. Following
the attack, an ambitious plan to cover Mumbai
under a network of high resolution surveillance
cameras was mooted. However, the project
remained only on paper due to lack of political
in the previous Congress-NCP government. But
now, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who
also holds the home portfolio, has expedited
the process to install 5,000 CCTV cameras at
key points in Mumbai. As the last hurdles in
the project have been cleared, the work on the
installation of cameras would start soon.
Coastal Security
The 124-km coastline of Mumbai continues to
be most vulnerable despite the presence of
several forces, including the Indian Navy,
Coast Guard and Marine Police. The previous
state government had purchased boats, and
had got together some officers and policemen
and called it Marine Police. The policemen
undergo one-month training with the Coast
Guard that includes only one week on the
seas. But the reality is quite bleak. No one
wants to join the Marine Police and only those
who do not wield enough influence to cancel
their transfer orders join the force. There have
been several instances in the past where the
Marine Police personnel have been rescued by
the Coast Guard.
Countering Terror
The delay in the arrival of the National Security
Guard (NSG) commandos in Mumbai during the
three-day siege gave terrorists more time to
unleash mayhem. Under severe criticism, the
then Congress-led government at the Centre
announced a hub in Mumbai for the elite
commandos.
The NSG reluctantly moved into the 23-acre
plot at Marol in Mumbai which they deemed
unsuitable for their requirements. The
commandos are forced to carry out counter-
terror drills during night time to avoid exposing
their tactical secrets to the curious residents
in nearby highrises. Not wanting to be
dependent on outside help in case of a terror
attack, Maharashtra Police set up its own
commando unit-Force One. Police officials
claimed that Force One has evolved into a
robust unit to counter terrorist attacks and
could respond to emergencies in 15 minutes.
Six years on, Mumbai still bears the scars of 26/11 attacks
