Behind the veil of gloom

It hurts even more because the compassionate stories and thought-provoking commentaries that come up in the aftermath of the bloody event did not serve much purpose. 26/11: The Attack on Mumbai traces the attacks on India’s financial capital as it unfolded in a series of stories from ‘The Hindustan Times’ reporters and some exclusive articles by well known writers and journalists.

Browsing through the book, one could get the glimpse of those trapped inside the Taj, the Oberoi and also the men involved in the rescue operations. It brings forth the emotive human spirit and also why Mumbai city got back to its feet as soon as it was brought down on its knees.

The book also covers the immediate political fallout — the higher middle class angst against politicians and how soon it cooled down; change in Pakistan’s stance — that country for the first time admitted that its citizens were involved in the terror attacks against India. Behind the veil of gloom, 26/11 also presents some amusing stories on politicians and wannabe superstars among India’s top security officials.

 Some might feel it’s like re-reading ‘dead’ newspaper reports. That’s where you could get bored. There are also few factual errors which could have been avoided. Otherwise, 26/11 presents a diverse view of the event — from inside and outside, top and below — to let you to draw your own conclusions as to why such a dastardly act could happen.   Among the many commentaries, the closing piece, ‘Terrorist’ by noted film director Mahesh Bhatt, leaves a lasting impact on the reader’s mind as he presses the need for redemption through his talks with a terrorist.

Piercing the Heart is more of a personal account of a journalist’s encounters with people who were directly affected by the terror strike. The author’s claims of it being a collection of the ‘unheard voices’ is, however, doubtful. Most of the stories, which are similarly striking, have already appeared in the tubebox right before our eyes.

Sodhi’s focus is more on the elitist voices which, she claims, were not heard or seen. Have you not seen people from the Taj and the Oberoi talking about their experiences after the ordeal? The only ‘unheard voice’ she did managed to get is that of the announcer at the Shivaji Chhatrapati Terminus station. Where are the voices of those who have lost their loved ones at the train station or the common man who suffered injuries there?

However, Sodhi manages to highlight the resilient spirit of Mumbai and the diverse opinion about the attacks, the rescue operations and the political response in her collections. Overall, her approach seems one-sided. In trying to present the humane aspect of the event she has missed out the real people who she should have talked to or met with to write this book.

Piercing the Heart is good only for its library value. You may later want to check it out just incase your memory fails you in recalling the terrible November 26, 2008.