Mumbaikars form human chain to protest attacks
Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service

Mumbai, December 12
Nearly 50,000 persons from all walks of life came out on Mumbai’s streets today to form a human chain linking the Taj Mahal Hotel on the city’s southern-most tip and the Nariman House nearby to the northern-most tip of the city. The chain, which passed via the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus rail station, ringed the Oberoi and Trident Hotels, which were targeted in last month’s terror attack.

Though broken in places, the chain meandered through the main streets of Mumbai like Swami Vivekanand Road in the suburbs till it reached the city’s farthest limits of Mira Road. Celebrities, including Bollywood personalities, joined housewives, office workers, businessmen and school children who held hands together for 15 minutes.

At many places they held posters that denounced terrorism and criticised the government’s inability to prevent such attacks. Many of the banners displayed had photographs of the three top police officers,

Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar and Ashok Kamte who were killed in the terror attacks.

“It is our way of showing that people can stand up to terrorism,” says

Anurag Goyal, small shopkeeper who stood at Dahisar in the Western suburbs. Goyal insisted that people should sink their differences and stand up to terrorism.

Today’s human chain came about despite indifferent publicity from newspapers and television channels. Word of the protest was spread mainly via the Internet and via SMS messages that urged people to come out and join the chain.

At other places in the city prominent Mumbaikars like Bollywood personalities joined the human chain. “Terrorists are enemies of the country who know no religion. People should not hold all Muslims responsible for terrorism,” Akhtar said.

“We have seen so much bloodshed in our city that we will not give in to terror.... we must oppose those who preach war, violence, hatred and intolerance,” said Jatin Desai, an activist with Mumbai for Peace, one of the bodies which organised the human chain.