For 188 families, it has been a long wait. Nine years after a series of blasts tore through train stations and trains in Mumbai, justice has been served. The verdict is in. Out of the 13 accused of the crime, 12 are convicted, one acquitted. It hasn’t been an easy journey for the families or the justice system.
On the evening of July 11, 2006, blasts occurred at seven locations on the Western Line in Mumbai, within a span of 10 minutes. Stations like Matunga, Mahim, Bandra, Khar, Jogeshwari, Borivili and Mira Road were filled with smoke, debris and blood. Apart from the 188 fatalities, there were also over 820 people who were injured. This attack was serious and hit Mumbai hard. In November that year, the Anti-Terrorist Squad filed a chargesheet against 30 people “ 13 in custody and 17 absconding. The trial started in June 2007 and ended on Friday, September 11, 2015, where the special court convicted 12 Indians of the crime, after examining 192 witnesses and suffering a setback when one of the defence lawyers was shot dead.
After the 1993 bomb blasts, this was possibly one of the most deadliest attacks in Mumbai. A little over two years later, the 26/11 attacks resulted in over 160 deaths and around 300 injured. But, the 2006 blasts hit home even harder because these were your everyday people, the aam aadmi, just like what happened in 1993.
Mumbai has always been a resilient city. It has borne the brunt of insurgency against India by outside forces. But the city has always bounced back. Even in 2006, it did. However, this time it was different. The movement back was labored. The train service is the lifeline for millions of residents of the metropolis and the fear of travelling by train was noticeable. The terrorists aimed to paralyse the city and they succeeded, albeit for just a short while.
It’s never easy, knowing that you could take the train and never return. But Mumbaikars live with that choice every day. The 188 families though, they know what it feels like. For many of them, the scars have not healed. Even if all 12 are given the death sentence, the pain will not disappear. For Madhuri Sawant, whose son Parag was in a coma until July this year, when he succumbed to his injuries, the pain is still there.
As the commercial capital of the nation and the second most important metro after Delhi, Mumbai has been punched in the gut more times than any other city or region in India. Every time a decision was taken “ the hanging of Ajmal Kasab and Yakub Memon, for instance, there are those in the city who would cringe in fear. They know that if there are any consequences to these actions, then it will reverberate in Mumbai.
But this verdict, coupled with the recent hangings of terrorists, will send a message out to those who wish to inflict harm on not just Mumbaikars but Indians as well. The stronger the resolution to stand fast, the harder it will eventually be to hurt this country.
