Mumbai was hit by serial blasts today. Commuters in trains on one of the railway lines (Western Railway) were killed by bombs that went off in seven different trains. The blasts occured around 1825 hrs, which is the peak hour for commute in Mumbai, as office goers leave South Mumbai to go back home to the suburbs. Estimates suggest that the body count is around 180 as of now.
Within minutes, the Mumbai Help blog came alive with messages, comments and offers to help. The blog started last year to cope with the floods, and started to fill the information and communiation gap. This particular post asks readers to provide phone numbers of people they want to check on, or inform. Metroblogging Mumbai has been doing updates on the issue. This is an open thread on the blog.
Amit at India Uncut has a post with frequent updates as the situation changes. With the mainstream media reporting with the trademark cluelessness, More on Mumbai by Jayesh. Blogpourri comments on the smugness of a particular mainstream media news channel. NowPublic features images taken by a citizen journalist, Dharmesh Thakkar. Pajamas Media collates links from mainsteam media and blogs. At Indian Writing there is this dedication to the particular intimacy that can be formed on public transport:
To “train friendship”. To every kind of friendship. To remember those whom the city has lost, and to honour their memories by holding together and never letting the violence win.
Gaurav Sabnis grieves for the city and its people.
It's been a tough day for the city, and the tragedy has a slightly personal note for me too. I am fortunate that neither me nor any of my acquaintances were victims today. But Western Line is “my” line. I have regularly travelled on those very tracks. The idea that almost 200 people were killed along the very familiar landscape which is a part of my life chills me, angers me and saddens me.
Contrapuntal asks why Bombay? and looks forward, hoping that there is no backlash.
Why Bombay? Why always Bombay? Because it's big and successful, so if you can make a splash there you're sure to hit the big time. (Why does anyone go to Bombay?) Please please let there not be a backlash. I'm incoherent. I'm not trying to write an article ok? The trains, soft spot, so horrifyingly easy. It's a miracle it hadn't happened before. And now what? How do you screen every single person who gets into a Bombay train?
Waking up twice on the assumptions that are made in times like these. Ultrabrown has notes on the terror attack and screenshots of the coverage. The Renegade of Junk on right-wing bloggers in the US indulging in their standard fare.
Many right wing bloggers in the US are somehow trying to link these bomb blasts with their own domestic selfish pro-Bush agenda, as bongopondit pointed out in the comments. The rest are engaging in highly clueless analysis of the events. For example Captain Ed of Captain's Quarters.
Scout on being outside India at a time like this and watching the news on television.
People here feel sad about us Indians. They can't imagine a life where bombs go undetected and terrorism is something they talk about in political science classes. But for us, it is a part of life - inevitable. But being away from India puts things into sharp perspective for me, I see it both ways and it hurts that much more.
Dhoomketu on the blasts and what he learnt today. On the Ganga Mail reflects on the city.
That's the thing about Bombay: you don't have to go to the city to see it. Those into Hindi movies have grown up in it without even setting foot on it. That's why it hurts even a Bihari or a Bengali when tragedy strikes far-off Bombay. It is the surrogate hometown of every Hindi movie-watcher.
Dilip goes to one of the stations which was hit, and writes about a car that is forced to take in passengers. A flickr set called Black Bombay has been created to collect images from the blast sites.
Lame politicians as usual and please, no one talk about God. Suketu Mehta discusses the blasts in the city online at the Washington Post.
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[...] Global Voices roundup of blogs on the blasts in Mumbai. [...]
[...] Neha has an excellent round-up of reactions from bloggers over at Global Voices. I am taking the liberty of ‘borrowing’ some links here. After the jump: [...]
[...] Channel 4 and BBC have video and pictures. DesiPundit has lots of links, as does Neha at GlobalVoices. [...]
Mumbai train blasts
From my personal experience in Mumbai I can tell that the shuttle train network is the lifeline of Mumbai. 6 Million people commute via this network each day from distant locations to the heart of financial capital of India. And the majority of the c…
Mumbai Blasts
Mumbai Help is a gathering place for Indian bloggers who are trying to coordinate help. The same for Global Voices. The Counterterrorism Blog has an accurate map of the Mumbai rail system. CNN-IBN (link may be overloaded) is reporting that…
Neha
Mumbai Metblogs has been on top of things since the blast occured….about 7 PM. IST.
Hope you will add us as a link resource too.
Arzan - I have already linked to Metroblogging Mumbai.
This is like a replay of a movie , a feeling of deja vu . I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like for the victims . All I can think of is are MMS clips of a man , with his arm dangling staring vacantly into space , a woman with her clothes ripped off by the blast , shell shocked into forgetting her modesty , a dead man, bleeding from the head , being dragged off from the pavement and a thick viscous angry red mass of ooze where his head had rested , a pink and white dupatta lying on the tracks next to the first floor compartment of the Jogeshwari train blast and all i could think of was how utterly incompetent our government is that this should happen again and again to a city and what kind of Intelligence systenms are in place that the planning of an event of this magnitude can go undetected . What kind of a world do we live in where day by day the safety factor decreases ?
[...] Global Voices Online [...]
[...] For details on the Mumbai terrorist attacks see Amit Varma, Sepia Mutiny, Global Voices and the Mumbai Help Blog. by myrick @ 5:36 pm. Filed under India, Asia, South Asia, Terrorism [link] [...]
Hello world,
I’m from India and I’m shocked by what has happened at Mumbai same as it happened in Madrid and in NY in recent past…
One striking thing that grabbed my attention… that no one else has thought of it till now…. In NY, it happened on 11/7 and in Mumbai, it has took place on 7/11 ! Is there any hidden message in this? Are there the same people behind the Mumbai attack as they were in NY attack? Are they trying to send us any message or make us all remember the 11/7 incident or their very brutality aganinst humanity and poor innocent people? At the end, I admit my heart truly breaks seeing all poor innocent people dying in such a manner in London, Madrid, NY and now in Mumbai… Does anyone knows when it will end OR more innocent people still have to wait for their turn to get killed brutally in this way?
Are all world leaders just concerned about keeping their economies on track? Is there no value of human soul and humanity truly? Who is going to end all this?
India must send a signal to the terrorists by wholeheartedly joining the American war on terror in response to the bombings today. Like the UK and Japan, India must stand with the free democratic world in committing blood and treasure to combat this evil.
Neha, you are doing a wonderful job. You make us proud.
Kuch Batay….
kuch ankahi batay reh gaye
Kuch adhuray lamhay reh gaye
Aray yaar woh khayalat hi adhuray reh gaye
Chodo kya ‘rang’egay basanti’ ko
jub haalat hi haath say reh gaye
Aaj hi tou usko milna tha
ha bhayee aaj hi ki mulaquat tay huee thee
Do saal say ek doosray ko train mai dekhtay thay
Ek din hosla kur kay baat kur hi li
woh mulaquaat bhi adhuri reh gayee
Bus jaldi college khatam kur lu
phir ma baap kay liye woh gadi looga
kuch aisa hi soch raha tha ki
soch soch mai hi reh gayee
“Mujhay tumhari shakal hi nahi dekhni”
Esa kyu keh kur nikli aaj woh
Pyaar say jaati tou aacha hota
Zindagi bhur dil pur uskay yahi baat reh gayee
Aray yaar 8 mahinay hogaye
bus ek mahina reh gaya
Phir mai usko pet pay leta kur khela karuga
woh khilanay valay haath hi na reh gaye
[...] 炼结：India: Bloggers react to the bomb blasts in Mumbai 作者：Neha Viswanathan 翻译：Portnoy 孟买今天遭遇多起炸弹攻击。搭乘火车通勤的人们在一条轨道上(西部轨道)被炸弹夺走了生命，七辆不同的火车同时发生爆炸。爆炸发生时间大约是下午六点25分，正好是孟买通勤的尖峰时段，下班的人潮正离开南孟买，准备回到郊区。估计目前约有180具尸体。 [...]
[...] The bad news: hierarchy is precisely what we wanted to avoid. The unattainable pot of gold was equal voice by every voice … and in that we failed. The good news is that increased organization, articulation of roles, and transparent policy will ensure our longterm existence in the 21st century media market. When bombs hit Bombay and when missiles strike Beirut, our understanding of those events won’t be bottlenecked by the understanding of a few dozen reporters. We will hear directly from those who ride the trains, those who tell their stories and their histories as the missiles come down. [...]
Do Pass This On To Indians and Pakistanis All over the world
To,
1) Members of the L.eT,and various jehadi organisations.Though you operate under the banner and name of God , you all are fooling yourselves that you have anything to do with Him. Infact you are not even soldiers, you are all cowards! hiding your faces. All you did and do was to keep your brethern and women under fear in Afghanistan, Pakistan and countries where women do not have the guts to fight your guns and your cowardly , un manly acts,– possing to be fighters of God is the most hypocratical thing ever suggested.
2)Leaders of Kasmhmiri politics and Kashmiri’s who want seperation from India , you do not have a right to break a country just because you are born in it. Just as we mumbaikars , delhiites etc cannot ask for a seperate state , you also cannot stretch your freedom to break India.If you like Pakistan then go to it. Mirwaish sheikh and Huryat leaders , if you did in any Islamic country what you do in India due to our tolerance you would have regreted being born. Anyway no amount of bomb blasts will scare us in giving you any part of India, infact we vow never to be scared in being blackmailed by your cowardly acts. Stop now or you may just have to face the wrath of a comon Mumbaiker!
3)President Musharaf , your offer to help India or any other country in capturing Islamic terrorist is a bad joke! You must be the ONLY General whose Army hides behind the viels of Islam and hizbuls mujahideens. Your Army never did and never will have the guts to face a open war against India or any other country. It makes us common mumbaikers feel pity for you as a general and your army.
4)Dear Pakistani citizen , we have no haterd against you but feel our duty to warn you that if your country persists the way it is , before India falls, the mulah will stop your daughters, wifes and sisters from studying and make you husbands , sons compulsarily dorn a beard ! Wake up and protect yourselves from the anti India mania! before you hand your next generation to the taliban
5) Indian politician especially the young Harward returns, ,like the young Deora. Gandhi’s and Pilot and Abdullah , wake up or your respect in our eyes will be the same as a begger on the streets
Please make Mulayam singh the Chief of R.A.W as he has already completed investigations and given S.I.M.I a clean chit ,while the actual investigating agencies sweat it out !
The signals emanating from the ‘powers-that-be’ indicate that the bomb blasts that took place today are likely to have an adverse impact on the ‘confidence building measures’ between India and Pakistan that have been on a fast track in the recent past.
I suppose that is what those who orchestrated the serial attacks sought to achieve and those who have been working hard on the peace process must feel somewhat like the members of a cricket team chasing a big total and having lost a crucial wicket.
I think the closest thing to justice that victims of Bombay Train blasts will get is a sympathy speech from our Prime minister, who isn’t man enough to be any country’s prime minister…besides he is simply a puppet. The one who call shots in India is too busy celebrating her country’s World Cup Victory.
Hi-
My opinions are stated on my blog - http://gandhi.wordpress.com/
[...] Anlass für die Blog-Blockade sind offenbar die Anschläge auf das Nahverkehrssystem von Bombay vor einer Woche. Reaktionen von indischen Bloggern auf diese Anschläge hat ebenfalls Global Voices zusammengetragen. [...]
Since the dawn of civilisation Bharat Barsha …. the land encompassing India, Pakistan , Nepal , Bangladesh have shown restraint, respect and tolerence to the rest of the world.
Now that a particular group of people worshipping the evil of terror, sons of Bharatbarsha, killing their brothers !! Can she simply watch and do nothing !! How long would Mother just stand like an epitome of patience and bear the pains ? How long ?
India, Pakistan Nepal Srilanka .. all standing on the verge of major terrorist eruption. Only a total change in political, social and religous attitude can protect the millions people from the future calamities. BUT HOW ??? Am I not repeating the same old mantra !!
YES … this time the change neeed to brought by the Young educated ppl of India, pakistan, Srilanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan ….
We can’t depend upon bearucrats, politicians, police officials. Its impossible to ensure security for billions ppl for a govt (a dumb govt !!).
They can only vaguely seek meanigless cooperation from G8 nations.
I agree to the bold opinion of rustom jamasji.
We need an independent unified Humanity Protection Group …. to protect the endangered humanity. We all share the same identity which cannot be determined just by religion, language or place.
Comrades its time to be united against violence. May be one great leader like Che emerge from people and lead the united military group across borders to eliminate the terrorists and make the world safe and beautiful for future generations.
As we are aware of MUMBAI BLASTS,what a terrible blast was it? I strongly think that the TERRORISM in our country is soo much that it is even difficult to go out of our house at 5:00pm onwards.
WHY IT IS SO? Why can not we live and feel secure in our country?
As we are deeply corrupted.Why there is no political leadership?
Why ????
WE THE CITIZEN OF OUR NATION, PROMISE THAT WE WILL FIGHT AGAINST THE TERRORISM IN OUR COUNTRY.
Please come and be a part of it.
If any points to be discuss, can be discuss with me at my E-mail address : nikibhardwaj@rediffmail.com .
If God wamted the Middle East to have the H-bomb, he would have. Instead, he gave it to a country with a lot less hate and a lot more brains!
terorist do that to cacth world reaction, so if the world is over-reactive than they will happy and make another blasts..
in Bali, after the bomb blasting, the goverment make more security rules in every building, but they also said for the people to stay calm and do not afraid, because if we are afraid than their mission is succeed.. so after the bomb, we pretend that the bomb never happened in bali.. so right now everything run just like before..
Neha,Bombing at mumbai is disasters, we must avoid this happen to ather place together.