Uneasy calm at Hotel Oberoi

Mumbai/New Delhi, Dec 1: An uneasy calm prevails now at the Oberoi/Trident hotel, days after terrorists attacked the premises and killed guests and staff. Traffic movement has resumed outside the hotel and people have begun stroll in its vicinity, while workers are busy carrying out sanitation work inside. The terrorists struck at the heart of Mumbai, the engine room of an economic boom that has made India a favourite emerging market.

It is also home to the 'Bollywood' film industry, the epitome of glamour in a country blighted by poverty. Meanwhile, commandos of the National Security Guard (NSG), who participated in the counter-terrorism operation in Mumbai, have returned to the Indian capital.

On Sunday, NSG Director-General J.K. Dutt and other senior commanders paid tribute and homage to colleagues -- Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and commando Gajendra Singh -- who laid down their lives during the operation at the NSG headquarters in Manesar, Haryana.

"The operation at the Taj hotel, as you may be aware, lasted the longest, and there is a reason for that. The objective of the NSG (National Security Guards) was that on each and every scene, where we had to take control, apart from terrorists, was that at least from our side there should not be any casualty among the hotel staff, guests, or the persons who may be kept inside the hotel," said Dutt.

He further added that the operation was difficult because the Taj had huge columns, huge domes, high roof, number of corridors and passages, wide staircases, and it seemed these terrorists were quite conversant and familiar with lay out of the hotel.

"Whether they (terrorists) wanted to bring down the building, we have not found any explosive in that amount, which would cause such destruction. There have been a number of arms and ammunitions and grenades but with that you can't bring down the sturdy building like the Taj," he said.

"Yes, we found that other terrorists whom we have countered earlier, who seem to be the type, who probably, on a part of the operation, come out with may be ill-prepared and just learned how to shoot.

They came and have been given an objective, which they may or not achieve. But in this particular...they knew what they want to do. How to go about, that is they knew the tactics and the technology," he added.

ANI