It was exactly twenty years back.I have just finished solving my Mathematics unsolved questions for my forthcoming class 8th examination.Those were the pre -globalized days with restricted television,mainly DD1 and DD2 or DD Metro as was popularly known.News was also beyond the "Breaking News" frenzy where not every nook and corner news was highlighted as breaking news.Reluctantly I switched on the Television to hear the afternoon news,where I first got the real taste of Breaking News.A Series of bomb blasts have rocked Bombay(Yes it was not Mumbai that time),targeting important locations like Bombay Stock Exchange,Hotel Juhu,and many other important locations like banks,post offices,airport etc.At first i could not believe my years that how can someone bomb at so many places at a time?The environment in Delhi before the blasts were not tension free as just within a few months time we have seen Babri Masjid Demolition in Dec.1992 and riots in Mumbai in January 1993.But no one could ever imagine bomb blasts in such a scale is possible that too in a city like Bombay.One name which flashed repeatedly for the next 24 hours was the probable mastermind behind these blasts.Dawood Ibrahim.
Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar,who was very little known among Delhi Kids those days(Pre Satya Days,where not every alternate movie was based on underworld)was born ironically in a police family in the Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra.With active involvement with karim Lala gang in Mumbai,he got indulged in Wagon and ship breaking movements,through which he found how he could use the Hawala money to generate tremendous amount of power and respect.It is believed that he has initially planned the date of Mumbai Blasts during Shiv jayanti in April,but the arrest of one of his associate Gul Mohammed in early March 1993,prompted him to advance the date to 12th March.
The aftermath of the blast was immense.I can remember all the shops in the Arambagh,New Delhi being closed prematurely.I could also recollect heavy patrolling of police force as the entire city was at red alert.Even with the tension for my forthcoming annual examinations,I regularly went through newspapers and felt the hatred against the D-company for these blasts reflected through the newspapers.I could also sense the unity of our country against these blasts.
For the next twenty years till date I am writing this blog,The Government of India is trying its best to nab the masterminds of these Bombay blasts.Although a few arrests have been made,but the Kingpins are still roaming free in the outside air.The mastermind Dawood Ibrhim is supposed to be enjoying his unofficial asylum in Pakistan and his links with organisations like Lashkar e Tayba adA Qaeda are clear to the international community.It agonises me from inside my heart that India is still not able to get hold of one of the most wanted criminals.I sincerely hope that our next generation would be relieved if it can see the fate of Dawood in same line with Mohammed Ajmal Kasab.Till then,the memories of the black Friday will continue to haunt billions like me everyday.
Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar,who was very little known among Delhi Kids those days(Pre Satya Days,where not every alternate movie was based on underworld)was born ironically in a police family in the Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra.With active involvement with karim Lala gang in Mumbai,he got indulged in Wagon and ship breaking movements,through which he found how he could use the Hawala money to generate tremendous amount of power and respect.It is believed that he has initially planned the date of Mumbai Blasts during Shiv jayanti in April,but the arrest of one of his associate Gul Mohammed in early March 1993,prompted him to advance the date to 12th March.
The aftermath of the blast was immense.I can remember all the shops in the Arambagh,New Delhi being closed prematurely.I could also recollect heavy patrolling of police force as the entire city was at red alert.Even with the tension for my forthcoming annual examinations,I regularly went through newspapers and felt the hatred against the D-company for these blasts reflected through the newspapers.I could also sense the unity of our country against these blasts.
For the next twenty years till date I am writing this blog,The Government of India is trying its best to nab the masterminds of these Bombay blasts.Although a few arrests have been made,but the Kingpins are still roaming free in the outside air.The mastermind Dawood Ibrhim is supposed to be enjoying his unofficial asylum in Pakistan and his links with organisations like Lashkar e Tayba adA Qaeda are clear to the international community.It agonises me from inside my heart that India is still not able to get hold of one of the most wanted criminals.I sincerely hope that our next generation would be relieved if it can see the fate of Dawood in same line with Mohammed Ajmal Kasab.Till then,the memories of the black Friday will continue to haunt billions like me everyday.
