Staff emerge as heroes in Mumbai hotel sieges 28/11

November 28, 2008

Members

this is a real story foa human beings unlike the parochoal and currupt

politicians, and the left party men as media men who want to find any

situation to tarnish BJP and Hindus and Indian dignity and human dignitymore

u wont find the secular forces talk on this case or MNS CHEIF.

read on- BREAVE AND GREAT HUMAN BEINGS UNSUNG

let us talk of such great men and thank them for their courage, selflessness

Prashant Mangeshikar could be dead, one of more than a hundred victims of

militant attacks across Mumbai landmarks, if it had not been for an employee

at the Taj Mahal Hotel.

Mangeshikar, his wife and daughter were in the foyer of the 105-year-old

hotel on Wednesday night when Islamist gunmen opened indiscriminate fire in

one of a series of coordinated attacks in India's financial capital.

Recovering from the initial shock and chaos, hotel staff shepherded the

guests, including the Mangeshikar family, through the service section

upstairs -- only suddenly to come face to face with one of the gunmen.

" He looked young and did not speak to us. He just fired. We were in sort of

a single file, " Mangeshikar, a 52-year-old gynaecologist, told Reuters. " The

man in front of my wife shielded us. He was a maintenance section staff. He

took the bullets. "

The tale of the unnamed staff member has echoed across Mumbai where, time

after time, hotel workers have emerged as the people who shielded, hid or

evacuated their wealthy guests from militants at the Taj and Trident/Oberoi

hotels.

Hotel workers in one case ushered guests into a conference room and then

locked the doors to protect them from the militants. The guests were later

rescued by the fire brigade.

The staff often proved essential, knowing short cuts to safety and where

emergency exits were located.

SPRAYING BULLETS

Within seconds after Mangeshikar's family was saved from the bullets, the

guests made a dash for the hotel rooms to hide.

Mangeshikar and a few others dragged the wounded hotel employee identified

only as " Mr Rajan " into one of the rooms.

" His intestine was a lump hanging from a gaping hole in his abdomen, " he

said. " The bullet had entered him from close to the spine. "

For the next 12 hours, Mangeshikar and other guests surrounded the wounded

man trying to push back his intestines with bedsheets and stop the bleeding.

He was finally evacuated, but it was not known if he survived.

" The hotel staff has been very, very brave, " Mangeshikar said. " Hats off to

them. "

As the gunmen went around spraying bullets, on another floor hotel staff

struggled to secure the doors with bedsheets and put tables and beds against

the doors.

Televisions had gone off. Power also went out. Some people tried desperately

to call their family on cell phones.

Kanda Noriyaki, a chef at the hotel's Japanese restaurant, led guests

trembling and screaming with fear to safety.

" We hid in the restaurant, " Noriyaki told Reuters. " We could hear the firing

somewhere very close. Intermittently, there were blasts. "

Many evacuees from the hotel hailed the bravery of the staff.

" Just imagine, they even served us food the first few hours, " said a hotel

guest, who did not wish to be named. " Only when the kitchens became out of

bounds did they express regret for not being able to serve us food. "

One person recounted how Taj staff stopped panicky guests from rushing into

the lobby where militants could have shot them.

" They were brilliant, " Bhisham Mansukhani told the Mail Today. " If they

hadn't kept their cool, many more lives would have been lost. "

The wife and children of the Taj's general manager who lived on the hotel

premises were killed in the attacks. Witnesses said many trainee chefs had

been killed in the kitchen of the Taj.

Mangeshikar said that, but for the courage of Mr. Rajan, his wife and

daughter could have been dead.

" I'm going out today to the hospital to find out what happened to him, " he

said. " I owe it to that brave man. "

November 28, 2008

Dear Prashant,

Thank you for all your efforts and keeping the list well informed with an

observant and critical guide.

India is an ally around the world and we all grieve for your country and

countrymen.

I think it is too shocking at this time to try and delineate a Prasna chart for

the horrific events that has been acted out against your country and innocent

people. However, we all need to be focused on the very real fact that evil does

exists everywhere and now is the time to mourn before we dwell into the

particulars of Jyotish events or predictions.

I truly feel that some events happen on a collective result of few who have a

direct hate against others. How we define a personal vendetta or a political

stance for self or any one religion or belief in explanation through Jyotish is

yet to be fully comprehended by all.

In the meantime, our hearts and love go out to Mumbai and the other 6 areas of

destruction and death that has effected so many in India.

In sympathy,

Uttara

" Three things that cannot be long hidden: the Sun, the Moon and the truth "

Guatama Buddha

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astro desk <astro.prashantkumar

jyotish-vidya ;

Friday, November 28, 2008 10:29:50 AM