Bollywood Stars Decry Terrorist Attacks in Mumbai

Amitabh Bachchan, hero of Bollywood action blockbusters, was among India's movie stars who reacted strongly in Mumbai after terrorists attacked hotels, a railway station and an apartment in recent days, killing more than 140 people.
"My pain has been the sight and plight of my innocent and vulnerable and completely insecure countrymen, facing the wrath of this terror attack," Bachchan wrote on his blog. "And my anger has been at the ineptitude of the authorities that have been ordained to look after us."

Bachchan, 66, said he spend the entire day watching, with anguish and anger, the local television channels reporting on the terrorist attacks.

"I am ashamed to say this. As the events of the terror attack unfolded in front of me I did something for the first time and one that I had hoped never, ever to be in a situation to do," Bachchan wrote. "I pulled out my licensed .32 revolver, loaded it and put it under my pillow."
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Bachchan, known as the "angry young man" for his roles portraying individuals fighting injustice, said he salutes the officers and police personnel who have laid down their lives.

"It's really devastating to see all that is happening in the city," Bollywood actress Sharmila Tagore was quoted by the Indo-Asian News Service as saying.

"When I came to Mumbai, I stayed in the Taj Mahal hotel for a very long time," Tagore said, referring to one of the hotels where the attacks occurred. "So when I saw the hotel burning, I felt as if my house is burning."

Bachchan -- who was named the Greatest Star of the Millennium by BBC News online users in 1999 -- has been writing his "Big B" blog since April, using the site to make his views public on films, the industry and the media's portrayal of the actor and his family. The blog entries are frequently featured in the country's newspapers in their movie and gossip columns.
"When will these politicians realise and admit that terrorists have no religion. Terrorists are not Hindu or Muslim or Christian".
Describing terrorists as 'people who have no religion or God', Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has strongly criticised political parties for targeting efforts by security forces to deal with these elements.

Strongly condemning the November 26 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, Aamir Khan expressed his condolences to the family of the brave officers of Mumbai police, who lost their lives leading from the front to take on these terrorists.

He lamented the fact that some of the officials like Hemant Karkare of the ATS were recently targeted by various political parties for the work that they were doing.


"When will these politicians realise and admit that terrorists have no religion. Terrorists are not Hindu or Muslim or Christian.

They are not people of religion or God. They are people who have gone totally sick in their head and have to be dealt with in that manner. Hemant Karkare is an example of a brave officer who gave his life in the line of duty," Mr Aamir said in his latest blog following the terrorist strikes in Mumbai.

At the same time, he slammed political parties for trying to take mileage out of the present crisis in the Metropolis city.

"I dread to think of how various political parties are now going to try and use this tragedy to further their political careers. At least now they should learn to not divide people and instead become responsible leaders," the actor said.

"An incident such as this really exposes how ill-equipped we are as a society as far as proper leaders go. We desperately need young, dynamic, honest, intelligent and upright leaders, who actually care for the country," he said.

Congratulating the security forces for successfully resolving the crisis arising out of the terrorist strikes, he said, "If it had just been a matter of simply fighting the terrorists the security forces would have dealt with it sooner, but here of course the situation was extremely complicated with many innocent lives at stake.

"The fact that the locations were huge hotels with multiple floors, hundreds of rooms, many corridors, staff quarters, work spaces, entries, exits, and innocent guests still in there made the task very difficult and delicate." Speaking on the blog, Mr Aamir said watching various locations in Mumbai turned into a war zone was shocking and heart breaking.

"My heartfelt condolences to the families of people killed and taken hostage. I was feeling sick in the stomach when the fire broke out at the Taj. What would the people caught inside be going through? The fire fighters were doing their best but my imagination was running wild and I was feeling helpless watching other people trapped in the rooms adjoining the fire," the actor said.