They were parents, siblings, sons, daughters, friends, relatives, colleagues, neighbours. And they were killed, injured, bruised in Mumbai on 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
And read about what Rediff Citizen Journalists reported on Terror Tuesday by clicking here, their opinion the day after by clicking here and their coming to terms with life by clicking here
Thank God, I was not an eyewitness to the blast. I lost three people from my office and 14 others from other departments of Railways, whom I knew.
One of my colleagues Mr Nagar miraculously escaped whereas Mr Mashekar, sitting a few seats away, succumbed to the blast.
Another victim, Mr T Mohanan, senior section engineer, studied with me during a diploma course from Perinthalmanna Polytechnic. He always wore a smile and was always full of energy. He worked in the planning section of the engineering department and used to come to our department to collect plans. He was so hardworking that he personally coordinated with all other departments for processing proposals and for their execution. He never waited for the files to come to his table. He used to chase files to get proposals through early.
I still remember those good old days, when we used to travel by bus to our polytechnic college. Now he is no more. My heartfelt condolence to his as well as other victims' families.
I sincerely pray to God so that such incidents are not repeated anywhere in the world. I pray to God for Moksh of the souls of all victims of the blast.
S Jayakrishnan, Dadar
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I am based in New Zealand. I lost my close friend Sanford DeSales from Bandra died in the horrific blast. Sanford left behind his wife and 10-year-old daughter.
San was a wonderful person and what happened to him and his family is not right.
All I can say is that we have to accept the way God works. The terrorists may have won the battle but they will never win the war.
All our friends and even those who did not know San lent a helping hand to his family. As long as this kind of emotional and physical support is alive, nothing can break the spirit of that family.
Mumbai is Mumbai and this is the right time for people of all religions and cultures to come together and fight this menace called TERRORRISM.
I appeal to all my Mumbaikar friends and brothers: Please remember the world is watching you. You have made me proud. Keep it up.
Brian Rodrigues, Auckland
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'Because I have loved life. I grieve not death.'
I try so hard not to let the above lines affect me.
But I cannot help but wonder about those hundreds of innocent lives that were victims of Mumbai train blasts...and think if any of them had ever imagined death enveloping them in such a gruesome manner...
I think of those people whose lives have changed forever -- some have lost their 23-year- old son -- others their sole bread winner.
I have been interacting and working with special school children between the age group of 4 and 14. I entered one of the classes on Monday morning after the outbreak of violence and mayhem by a political party. The latter called for a bandh after 'their sentiments had been hurt'. The kids whom I teach -- either severely or profoundly deaf -- looked very angry.
With anger and fear in their eyes, these kids registered their protest in the class demanding reasons for such an incident.
With the conditioning and complexities that set in with age, my adult mind failed to provide them a simple straight answer.
With what happened on Tuesday, the horror was evident in the eyes of these children whose anger had risen manifold by the time I met them yesterday afternoon for my session.
Never have I seen blood and death making its impact stronger than when I saw these kids enact what they had seen on the television.
So sensitive to images and events around them, these kids certainly don't deserve to witness such acts of inhumanity.
I lost sleep as I saw what sheer impact this incident had had on these young minds
The kids want to express the need for peace. They stand united, they want to express themselves.
That's exactly what I want to help them do. I will organise an event in August around the Independence Day wherein about 20 to 25 school kids across the city can come together and speak their minds.
I need help -- not monetary -- because this is certainly not a charity event neither does it need any publicity. The event will be a genuine attempt wherein the kids will get a chance to express themselves, exercising their freedom of voicing their thoughts and demanding what must be theirs peace.
If you are interested to help me organizing this event or with deas on how to connect themes and make these young but strong voices be heard, please do get in touch with me.
I stand alone now hoping to be joined by voices within you which may have felt anger, which may have been disturbed, which wants to condemn but yet support a cause which belongs to no one else but you.
You have the right to live your life.
Love and hope
Sharanya Rajgopal
PS: you can mail me at sharaanya@gmail.com
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I was not a witness. I was not even in India.
On Wednesday morning, I got to know about what had happened in Mumbai and I was shocked.
I immediately logged on to the rediff site and got to know about the attack in J&K -- another shock.
After watching the blast photographs on rediff, I felt I lost so many brothers and sisters in India. Though I don't know them, I could feel the pain of those who lost their sibling, friends, relatives, colleagues and neighbours.
I am proud of the Mumbaikars fighting against terror. Once again they have proved that no one can strike at their spirit of humanity and their love for their own country.
Gagan Sukheeja, Malaysia
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I was on my way back from Tanzania and was at Kilimanjaro Airport when I switched on my mobile and got a message that bombs had gone off in Mumbai trains.
I got a number of calls & SMS from all over the world from my friends and well wishers who wanted to know about me and my family.
I reached home on July 12 a 8 am and started contacting my friends to ask them about their well being. I was sure that none of my friends got affected by the blasts since nothing happened to them during previous blasts and last year's flood.
At about 9 am, a very close friend of mine called to inform that one of our common friends is missing. That was the first shock I got. I contacted other friends and started enquiring about him but in vain.
My friend, Krishan Kumar, who used to work in the Indian Overseas Bank -- Colaba and used to stay in Sundaram 4, Raheja Complex, Malad (E), died in the bomb blast.
He was always so helpful, ever so eager to take care of the Raheja Complex. He used to be a frontrunner in all Federation of Raheja Complex activities.
I am yet to get over the shock. The friends in my complex and others worry about his family, his pregnant wife and eight-year-old son.
I talked to him last on July 10 when I was at the Nairobi airport. He called to report an incident in our complex.
I can never forget him.
Lavaish Agarwal
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I lost my friend Joga Rao, who used to work in Mashreq Bank. He was in one of those trains. After battling with death for two days, he breathed his last on Thursday night.
T V Sudhakar, Mumbai
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I heard from my wife that Krishnakumar Dube, who stays just below my flat in Kandivali East, was traveling in 1st class because his season pass for 2nd class had expired on July 10. He lost his life. He was very innocent. I am not in India right now and cannot do much from here but my wife is with his wife and trying to console her.
Mahesh
I lost my colleague because of some senseless individuals. Naishadh R Tejani was 44 years old is survived by his wife and two children -- a 12-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son.
Try talking about the spirit of Mumbai to his family.
All the people who were back on Wednesday must not have lost anyone close. Gruesome is too small a word to describe some of the victims' remains.
And for the senseless perpetrators, there can be no victory in killing innocent people. Fight in the battlefields, if you want to win. There can be no jannat either for the fidayeens or for people who plant bombs amongst innocent people and take utmost care to run away.
People who live by the sword will die by the sword. And this is for all who kill, irrespective of religion, caste or creed.
Lancelot Tixeira, Sion Hospital
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I was not a witness to the blast, but I have felt the vibrations nevertheless. Deepak Kadam, a close friend from my days in Ruia College (1993 batch) was travelling in the coach that blew up at Mahim.
He must have done something right somewhere, as he is alive today, at Sion Hospital with some head injuries (he has lost hearing in one ear) and should be discharged in a few days.
I have not met him in past few years, but did speak to him the next day. I shall definitely meet him. In fact after the blast, I have spoken to all my friends with whom I have not been in touch for some time. The blast brought home the reality that life and time waits for no one and that nothing should be taken for granted.
I am lucky that I lost no one known, but the pain of the people who lost someone cannot be described by anyone except the one who has lost. God help all to live in peace.
Sharad Kathuria, Chembur
