The ugly scene remembered after a year

It was on this dreadful day 26/11/08 when the city of Mumbai was attacked by ten terrorists from Pakistan (which is denied by the Pakistan government) in which 166 people were killed. The Indian Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh who is currently in Washington, led tributes for those who were killed in that gruesome attack.

"The Government will not rest till we have brought the perpetrators of this crime to justice. This is our solemn duty," he said.

Those who threatened India "should have no doubt that they will fail in their attempts", he said in remarks directed at Pakistan.

Candles were lit outside the luxury Taj Mahal Palace and the Tower and Trident-Oberoi hotel, after faith leaders and foreign diplomats called for unity to fight and defeat extremism worldwide.

Mr Singh said that improving homeland security was his Government's top priority and vowed to "leave no stone unturned to safeguard and protect the lives of our citizens".

Prayers are being offered at Nariman House, where six people including a Rabbi and his wife were held hostage in a 45-hour siege and then killed by terrorists. Nariman House will be thrown open to the public soon today and people will even be given guided tours.

Just opposite Nariman House, a small memorial has been built at a bakery that still bears marks of the terrorists' bullets. Residents here too say they can never forget - for good reason. They were perhaps the closest witnesses to the attack on the Jewish religious centre and many of them had to be evacuated from their homes as the NSG tried to flush out terrorists.

In Kanpur, the Indian cricket team observed a two-minute silence in memory of those who lost their lives a year ago, before play began on the third day of the Test match against Sri Lanka.

Joining the rest of India in remembering the victims of 26/11, were the politicians. If the Liberhan report kicked up a storm in Parliament, the first anniversary of 26/11 brought a welcome break from the noise and din of the past few days as MPs observed a two-minute silence. Not for long though. Very soon they were bickering over 26/11.

So let us join hands with our fellow brothers and sisters by throwing aside the differences between us and work united in every path we take. United we stand but divided we fall. Unity is the only way by which we can eliminate terrorist activities from the face of this world.