Ratan Tata pens heartfelt note on Mumbai on 26/11 anniversary

Veteran industrialist Ratan Tata, who headed Tata group whose iconic hotel in Mumbai was one of the sites of the 26/11 terror attacks, on Thursday penned a heartfelt tribute saying the wanton destruction that took place 12 years ago will never be forgotten.

Tata posted his tributes on the anniversary of the terror attack on social media along with a sketch by artist Sanjana Desai of the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, which was one of the sites of the terror attacks.

The sketch bore the message 'we remember' on it.

Tata, who headed the Tata group at the time of the attack in November 2008, wrote, "The wanton destruction that took place 12 years ago today will never be forgotten."

After the attacks, which severely damaged the property, he oversaw the restoration work.

"But, what is more memorable, is the way Mumbai as a diverse people came together, casting aside all differences, to vanquish the terrorism and destruction on that day," he wrote.

Tata, who is now chairman emeritus of Tata Sons — the holding company of the salt-to-software group, hoped the unity and the acts of kindness will continue to shine in the years ahead.

"Today, we certainly can mourn the ones we lost and honour the sacrifice of the brave who helped conquer the enemy, but what we must applaud, is the unity and acts of kindness and sensitivity which we should cherish, and which hopefully, will continue to shine in the years ahead," he added.

Last year, he had penned a similar tribute to all those who lost their lives. "We can be hurt, but not knocked out," he had written.

Echoing similar sentiments, Mahindra and Mahindra Chairman Anand Mahindra on Thursday tweeted, "Mumbaikars won't forget the night of the #2611Attack when the air was filled with uncertainty and insecurity. I remember feeling as if the city and the country were being invaded."

Quoting a remark by South African leader late Nelson Mandela -- "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear. But the triumph over it" -- Mahindra added, "But by the end of that week, we brought to life this quote by Mandela. Mumbai — and India — did triumph."

On November 26, 2008, 10 Pakistani terrorists belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba outfit arrived by sea route and opened fire, killing 166 people, including 18 security personnel, and injuring several others during the 60-hour siege in Mumbai.

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Oberoi Trident, the Taj Mahal Hotel, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital and the Nariman House Jewish community centre, now renamed Nariman Light House, were some of the places targeted by terrorists.

Nine terrorists were later killed by the security forces, including the National Security Guard, the country's elite commando force.

Ajmal Kasab was the only terrorist who was captured alive. He was hanged four years later on November 21, 2012.