THE NORMALLY teeming city of Mumbai was a ghost town yesterday afternoon as it cremated its dead. There was little or no traffic as all shops, offices, educational institutions and even the stock exchange remained closed.
The besieged locations were cordoned off by army, paramilitary and police personnel and sporadic shooting, interspersed with occasional explosions were audible a day into the onslaught.
An official silence about the details of the sieges prevailed, officials feebly claiming that any information would be aired by the many news channels to which the gunmen had access, compromising operational plans.
Truckloads of soldiers in body armour patrolled the streets anticipating yet another attack as military helicopters hovered overhead trying to assess the stand-off in the two high-rise hotels.
"The city is scared and in shock," taxi driver Addul Khaliq said. He said the city has retreated behind closed doors as it relives the terror of the 2006 serial bombings of Mumbai's rail network in which 209 people died.
"We remain helpless," Taj Hotel owner Ratan Tata told a TV news channel, adding that its beleaguered staff were doing their best to help hundreds of besieged clients. He said it was obvious that detailed planning had gone into the operation, as the gunmen knew their way around his hotel, particularly areas like the kitchens, pantries and backstairs areas.
"We have failed as a nation to tackle terror," a former Mumbai police commissioner said. No one remains safe, he added.
"The terrorists were well orientated and determined to succeed in their goal of targeting Mumbai's most visible symbols patronised by the rich, famous and by westerners," a senior security official said. Previous strikes, almost exclusively bombings, had largely targeted the poor in cramped trains and depressed neighbourhoods, which did not necessarily ensure continuing publicity and global media attention, he added.
"By attacking Mumbai's high-value targets, the gunmen have ensured attention and could easily scare investment away from India at a time when overseas money is scarce," political analyst Dorab Sopariwala said.