Mumbai 26/11 attacks were bad, but the lack of will to hit Pakistan hurt the nation

New Delhi, Nov 26: Following the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, the entire nation felt that India would hit hard at Pakistan to avenge the loss of over 150 lives in the commercial capital of the country.

While the hype was built up that terror camps in Pakistan would be targeted, in reality there was nothing that took place. In his book 10 Flash Points: 20. Years-National Security Situations that impacted India, Manish Tewari criticised the UPA for not actioning a kinetic response to the deadliest terror attack. Tewari was a minister in the UPA government at that time.

At that time there were talks that the Indian Air Force would undertake an operation to avenge the attacks.

Journalists were told that the IAF was on standby and would launch an all out attack on Pakistan. While the IAF was ready for the battle, it appeared as though the government of the day was not keen.

The then Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major had told this correspondent while he was working at rediff.com that while there was talk about an air strike along the border to destroy jihadi camps, the government was not in favour of the same. The government felt that an action of this nature would escalate into a full-fledged war. He said that government of the day was not keen and never made up its mind on the issue.

The thinking in the government was that it needs to first establish the Pakistan link. However by the time that was established the will was gone, he also said.

The first concrete link that India to Pakistan was following the capture of Ajmal Kasab, one of the ten terrorists who struck Mumbai. It was his confession that laid the ground work for the investigation into the case.

While the government of the day failed to hit back at Pakistan, there were also other issues when the attack began. The Ram Pradhan Committee had said that the most shocking aspect was the time that the NSG arrived. The NSG landed in Mumbai from Delhi at 8 am in the morning and the first call was made by the Mumbai Police to the Ministry of Home Affairs at 10 pm the previous night when the attack began.