They were parents, siblings, sons, daughters, friends, relatives, colleagues, neighbours. And they were killed, injured, bruised in Mumbai on Terror Tuesday.
Do YOU know anyone who is a victim of the Mumbai attack? Do YOU know anyone who lost his/her life, or was injured in the seven blasts that ripped through seven trains on Terror Tuesday?
Have you been to any hospital where the injured are being treated? Do you know anyone who needs help?
Write about him or her as a Citizen Journalist, and let the world know about who bore the brunt of the mindless, dastardly attack on the financial capital of India.
Let them know how kind, ordinary people were the targets.
Please mention the victim's full name and locality, so that your fellow readers can reach out to help, if need be.
Be a Citizen Journalist, let us know by clicking here
Earlier Rediff Citizen Journalists' Reports: Terror Tuesday | July 12 | July 13 | July 14 | July 17
My friend Michael Augustin Dabre died in the blast that took place in the 1st class compartment of the train between Mira Road and Bhayander. We combed various civic hospitals and police stations all through the night and finally found his body at the Mira Road police station. He was a breadwinner for the family and he is survived by his wife, son and daughter (both studying in school).
Any support and help would of great value to his family.
His address: Michael Augustin Dabre Michael, Nandanvan village, Post Nirmal, Taluka Vasai, Nallasopara (West), PIN: 401304. Phone number: 95250-2470466
Robert Dabre, Mumbai
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I lost my friend, or you can say my younger brother, Abhijit Ahiwale, 26, from Damodar Park, Ghatkopar West (his name was mentioned in all police and hospital lists as Abhijit Hiwale, 35years). On July 11 he went to the Churchgate station to meet a client, parking his bike at Andheri. His meeting got delayed by half an hour.
While coming back he was in the 1st class compartment in which a bomb went off at Mahim station. Around 6.30 somebody called up from his mobile to one of our friends, saying Abhijit had met with an accident. That friend, who was also in office, thought Abhijit must be on his bike. Then all mobile phones jammed. When that friend switched on the television at 8.30pm he was shocked and he called other friends and Abhijit's family.
In the night we got the information that Abhijit's body is at Sion Hospital. The next day I went to the NABARD colony; all our friends were there.
I was not able to react. I was just moving around like a zombie, waiting for his dad who was not in the city, coordinating with friends for the formalities of the hospital and police
After his funeral when I was going home, I thought about what had happened and what we did.
What is our response to this violence? What are we doing? Are we there just to attend the funerals of our loved ones and to expect friends to do the same for us?
I think we the people of the city are dead as a society?
What I can say about the terrorists, jihadis or a group of misled people, except: "Kayar log ya bewakoof jinhain apni zindagi ka kuch pata nahi woh dharm aur samaj ke liye ladenge. (What cowards and fools they those who have no idea about their own life and want to fight in the name of religion and society."
Vinod Kandpal, Mumbai
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After the blasts, I was searching for my maternal uncle the whole night. He had called my aunt at 6.15 pm and he was on the train in which a bomb went off near Bandra. During my search, I visited the morgues of Nanavati and Sion Hospitals and finally Bhabha where I found my uncle's body drenched in blood. He was unrecognisable, as were the other bodies at the hospital.
I would like to thank the police and the people of Mumbai. The police were at their helpful best. They were polite and sympathetic. But what I saw at the morgues was just too gruesome. I feel that all the suspected terrorists should also be given similar deaths. They have achieved nothing by killing so many, my uncle included. I still get shivers in my spine when I recollect the scenes at the hospitals.
But to the credit of Mumbaities, we are back on our feet. Also kudos to the Maharashtra government, which has been very proactive in paying the promised money to the family of the deceased. My uncle's family has received the promised Rs 100,000.
Although it will not fill the vacuum created by my uncle's demise but it is a good gesture.
I thank Mumbai and India to stand behind all the families in tough times.
Parag Dave, Mumbai
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I boarded the Bandra train via harbour line from VT at 6.05 pm. When the train reached Mahim, there was an eerie silence, which suggested something had happened. The blast had taken place less than five minutes ago. I walked out of the train and crossed over through the over head bridge to Mahim West side. It was then that I saw the blast site and the train compartment. I will never ever forget the scene that I saw.
At the same time my daughter along with her friend was waiting to board a train at Santacruz when she received the message of bomb blast at Khar from my wife. Her friend immediately reacted and said that her friend's father is in the train -- he normally cathes that train . She rushed off immediately. Her father, a Railways employee, died in the blast. That sorrow is not individual, that is our sorrow, for each one of us.
Shyamal Acharya, Mahim
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I saw the blast telecast on BBC, but could not contact friends and relatives till the next day as the phones were dead. I realised that once upon a time I used to travel at the same time when the blasts took place.
I learnt that one of my best friends, Suraj Shetty from Yogi Nagar, Borivali, was in the compartment of the train that blew up at Mahim. He was one of the fortunate survivors. His body was covered with soot and glass splinters, and he had to make his way out climbing over dead bodies of his fellow passengers. At present he is coping with a ruptured left ear drum and the loss of his three colleagues.
Thank the Lord, because if something had happened to Suraj, the world would have come to an end for his wife, his one-month-old daughter and his mother who is already battling with cancer.
From a concerned citizen of India who spent years travelling in those trains.
Shreekanth Puthran, New Zealand
