In the Recent Events of the 7th July 2006 Multiple Bomb Blasts on Suburbian trains in Bombay, One gets a feeling of déjà vu considering that many of us were around during the horrible bomb blasts of 12th March 1993. I believe, my review for this book, is due.
Brief History in Time
The 1993 bomb blasts in Bombay, The 1992 communal riots, The 6th December 1992 attack on the Babri Masjid, all of it had its seed sown on 9th December 1989 in Ayodhya – Spearheaded by Right Wing Hindu Fundamentalist – Lal Krishna Advani.
Ayodhya happens to be the birth place of Hindu Deity – Ram. Whether Ram existed or not is a totally different debate all together. When the Muslim Invader, Babar, Invaded India in the 1528, he is said to have destroyed the Ram Temple at Ayodhya to build a mosque. The Crucial factor being that the temple was supposedly at Ram Janmabhoomi or in simple English, the actually the holy site where Ram was born. On 9th November 1989, Right Wing Hindu Fundamentalists led by Lal Krishna Advani and Mulayam Singh Yadav laid the foundation stone of Ram Janmabhoomi Temple. Incidentally it was the same day that the Berlin Wall was broken.
On 6th December 1992, Stone Breakers from Latur(Which many believe was cause of the 1993 latur earth quake) were bough by the same Hindu Fundamentalists. They broke down the mosque and made a makeshift temple. This irked some Muslim Extremists who retaliated by Attacking Innocent Hindus in various parts of India, majorly in Mumbai. Another Hindu Fundamentalist – Bal Thakrey, who was not the ones to take things striding down, spearheaded attacks on innocent Muslims in almost a month long communal riots in Bombay. Thousands of people from both communities were killed and many more misplaced. Property and business worth millions of Rupees were lost, destroyed and shattered. Bombay, who till then, had never faced any communal riots was soon to change its face forever.
On 12th March 1993, there were 12 bomb blats in Mumbai. Some of them in majorly Hindu Populated Areas. This was “the answer” of Muslim Extremists against the Communal Riots, late last year. Official death toll was 257 and 713 injured. This was the single biggest terrorist attack in Any city of India in its 45 years of Independece. The Book, black Friday is about that.
The Book
S Hussain Zaidi is a former Crime Reporter for Local Tabloid – Mid Day. Along with the crucial inputs from some of city’s finest Cops – Raman Tyagi, A S Samra, Rakesh Maria, Ulhas Joshi, Nand Kumar Chougule, Pradeep Sharma and Srirang Nadgouda and off hand information from various Witnesses and Unknown Police informers. The Chronology of the blasts were as follows:
1) 13:28 – Bombay Stock Exchange - Fort
2) 14:15 – Masjid Bunder
3) 14:25 – Air India Building – Nariman Point
4) 14:30 – Sena Bhavan – Dadar
5) 14:55 – Passport Office (Now the old Passport Office) – Worli
6) 15:05 – Zaveri Bazaar – South Mumbai (The heart of Bullion Market)
7) 15:13 – Plaza Cinema – Dadar (which took nearly 7 years to build after that)
8) 15:20 – Sea Rock Hotel - Bandra
9) 15:23 – Centaur Hotel – Juhu
10)15:35 – Centuar Hotel – Domestic Airport
These 10 Blasts within a span of just over 2 hours shook the entire world. Perhaps, the most safest city in the world, was not safe anymore. But who was behind the blasts ? If at all any terrorist groups like ULFA, PLO or LTTE were behind this, they would not have had achieved it without local help. And the only people or network of people who would have the nerve to do all this were the notorious Bomabay Underworld Gangsters. For the first time DCP(Traffic) was involved in the investigations of the blasts – Rakesh Maria. It was majorly due to Maria’s single handed effort that there were many arrests made within the 3rd day itself. Despite not getting any clues or witnesses. What was found out after the investigations, was even more shocking. The planning of the bomb blasts had started nearly 2-3 months in advance with most of the people who planted the bombs were first timers who hadn’t even held a gun in Hand. This was planned, entirely by one IbrahimMushtaq Abdul Razak Memon who was popularly known as Tiger Memon. He was aided by Notorious Criminal and underworld gangster – Dawood Ibrahim. Another shocking revelation was that at one point Dawood had even offered to surrender to the Indian Authorities, provided he wouldn’t face any major criminal charges. This was eventually declined by the Law and Enforcement agencies. A big mistake which was unofficially regretted as, if at all, Dawood’s terms would have been agreed upon, atleast we would have him In our Jails and then the Police would have done its job in its usual way. Although the case for bomb blasts is still going on, it was hats off to the single minded dedication of the fine cops we have, their investigations and grilling of these criminals that the gangsters would have to think twice before planning such attacks. And most importantly, it is the spirit of Bombay Citizens, due to which, even today, after the horrible 7th July attacks, the city was back to its feet within 12 hours. Something which even a city like New York couldn’t boast during Sepetember 11 Attacks.
An excellent Book by Zaidi which was even made in to a feature film, which never got released due to the controversial content. A must buy for any non fiction reader.
I am one of the few lucky souls who has managed to see the film. I wont tell you, how, when and where did I see the film as I have given someone a word. But this is truly, one of the master piece of Indian Cinema. Comparisons with Movie like Steven Speilberg’s Munich are inevitable and hats off to Anurag Kashyap for his superb direction which is on par with Speilberg. I will write the review of this movie as soon as I can