Something changed in India's Mumbai's even India's psyche last November, when the terror attacks in Mumbai took place in the last week of November 2008. You would have heard, read, seen live coverage; it was so in your face you could not have missed it. It was a terror attack of such scale, such audacity, such planning and so devastating that it is being called the 9/11 of India.

A Live Thriller Film

Though it sounds somewhat ghoulish and macabre, it was like a thriller film unfolding, the hostage situation at two of the most expensive and classy hotels of the city as well as at a Jewish centre in a crowded part of the city. It had all the ingredients of an action movie: hardened, heartless but expert terrorists; stories of individual bravery, even heroism outstanding acts of valor and courage from security personnel, human anguish and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. If the live coverage was reaching your part of the world you had to have been riveted to your TV set. I know I was.

Is it just hatred?

And all the time I was thinking WHY! What is it that prompts these men to brutally, indiscriminately, mercilessly kill, maim, torture and destroy their fellow human beings. What is this hatred so incredibly powerful that four men can have the extraordinary stamina and strength of will to do as these did: hold out for nearly 60 hours; 60 hours! Against all odds! What would be the level of training and brainwashing that would permit these twisted souls to face certain death and to kill with equal degrees of equanimity?

The Theories Abound

Here I read an interesting theory of what makes a terrorist. However there seemed to be an attempt to explain the terrorist’s motivation, to somehow suggest that the terrorist has an overriding belief in this ‘Cause’ which so motivates him that he values it above his life. Fine so far; each of us have certain beliefs that we cherish above our very lives perhaps we all believe in something or someone that may prompt us to lay down our lives; but to brutally massacre innocents? How does anyone explain that either to others or to ones’ own soul?

Can you Imagine Killing?

I genuinely believe in Mahatma Gandhi's doctrine that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind; that violence is not the answer to violence. Even then If someone hurt those that I love most, I would want revenge I think and I can think of scenarios where I may retaliate in violence. But to take another life, to snuff out the life breath of a living breathing person, who has loved ones, who has aspirations and a desire to live; I don't know!

So what is it that, for a terrorist culminates in that one 'mission' which is to kill; the more the better? Their entire life has been a perparation for that death; others and thier own. To me this is too mind-bogglingly heinous, too deliberately macabre to have any explanation. My condolences and deepest sympathies to all those who lost their dear ones in this attack; inadequate though that sounds. At this point, words fail me….