The Ones We missed...

Everyone is aware of the role played by the NSG, Marcos and the ATS in fighting the terrorists who attacked Mumbai. However the role of the Mumbai Police seems to have escaped the public eye. It was baton weilding policemen who led to the capture of the lone live terrorist. And please find time to watch this CCTV footage captured during the initial stages of the terrorists occupying the Taj. The police on the second floor were told to hold the terrorists at bay on the fifth floor. Though armed with handguns and World War I vintage 0.303 rifles against AK 47 assault rifles and and grenades, they put up a brave front. To point out the enormity of their task, consider the fact that the .303 is a bolt action rifle which has to be manually loaded after firing each round. Compare this to the 600 rounds per minute rate of fire of the Kalashnikov, which is widely rated among the top two assault rifles in the world. And then the terrorists lobbed a few grenades to add to the horror.

In the face of such insurmountable odds, listen to the calm conversation between the policemen. I quote, "We will not allow them to come down, though we die. That we will do sir. Over sir"

This is courage. These are real life heroes. I am speechless.