Mumbai is getting back to normal after the unprecedented terror strike that lasted 60 hours. Mumbai found itself in mayhem when about 20 odd terrorists armed with heavy weopons like AK-47 rifles, hand grenedes attacked Mumbai on Wednesday, 26 November 2008.

The gunmen attacked 10 places like Chhatrapati Shivaji Bus Terminal (CST), a famous cafe (leopold cafe), railway stations, tourist spots, two 5 star hotels, cinema hall,hospital. Around 180 innocent people (including  foreigners) lost their lives and 370 were injured. ATS (Anti Terrorist Squad) chief, Mr. hemant Karkare was also shot dead.

The attack is unique in every sense. The world had never witnessed anything like this before.  Surely, this was the biggest, and most co-ordinated terror attack on India. Gunmen opening fire on civillians, policemen, and then holding hostages at three places, where the fight to thrash them lasted for more than two days. Terrorists also asked for people with British and American passports,another first of its kind.

According to initial reports, terrorists are thought to have come via a small boat to Mumbai’s coast, and then they dispersed in teams to their pre-decided destinations to create havoc.An previously unknown group, Deccan Mujahideen has claimed responsibility behind the attacks. Speculations are also on regarding possible Pakistan link of the terrorists, though Pakistan has strongly denied any involvement. Though initial investigations point towards LeT (Lashkar-E-Taiba)

Terrorists held hostages at three places, including two luxuru 5 start hotels viz “Taj Mahal Hotel” and “Oberoi- Trident Hotel” and at Nariman House,a Jewish population dominated area. NSG, Army, Navy, marine commandos (MarCos) were deployed in addition to the local police to bring down the hostages who were holding hostages. This very difficult task took 60 hours mainly becuase of these reasons: (more…)

In the past few days, India’s lunar mission has accomplished many historic milestones. Like placing Indian tri color on the lunar surface by MIP (Moon Impactor Probe) on 14th November,it has also started sending pictures,its various scientific instruments are being sucessfully turned on, one after other.

It now has a operational TMC (Terrain Mapping Camera) and LLRI (Lunar LASER Ranging Instrument).

Here are the pics which Chandrayaan-I took recently: (more…)

I will get a chance to vote for the first time on 29 Nov, the day Delhi goes to legislative elections. Im so very excited about it as i always wanted to vote. But as much as im excited about my first vote, im am equally clueless about in whose favour I should cast my vote.

There is corruption every where. They are so selfish and greedy that dont give a damn about democratic values anymore ( recent Ashok Argal’s vote-for-money case). They make such baseless acquisitions on another that it is hard to believe that they are from the same country working (thoeretically) for the bettetment of their country and its people.

Well, the whole things boils down to our politicians,our leaders who are,actually our own representatives. We only select them to lead us. So who is at fault here? Why do we elect people who have no will to serve people? People who only want to join politics because they they are just bored of being a criminal(criminal records of our MP’s and MLA’s are a proof) and want a change, people who see politics as an option to make huge chunks of money. Why have we blindfolded ourselves from the reality. (more…)

Chandryaan-I, India’s first unmanned moon probe has successfully entered moon’s orbit today. Chandrayaan-I, which was launched on 22 November 2008 has completed one of the most difficult steps called “Lunar Orbit Insertion” or LOI to enter the moon’s gravitational field. LOI started at around 1700 HRS (IST). Earlier, the spacecraft completed five orbit raising manouevres to raise the apogee (farthest point of the orbit) to about 3,80,000 kms.

“The liquid apogee motor on board the spacecraft was fired for about 805 seconds to put Chandrayaan-1 into an elliptical orbit with 7,500 km aposelene (farthest from moon) and 500 km pericelene (nearest to moon),” ISRO director S. Satish told IANS.

This step is very critical in any mission. Nearly 30% of US and USSR’s mission have failed at this very step i.e. LOI, and ISRO has achieved this without any glitch. With that India’s first lunar mission has also been declared successful.

The probe which is travelling around moon at an height of 500 kms will have its orbit gradually lowered to 100 kms in the coming 2-4 days and then ISRO will attempt to send the “impactor probe” to the moon to place Indian flag on its surface.

Finally the moment for which the whole world was so eagerly waiting has arrived.

The United States Of America has elected 47 year old Illinois senator, Barack “Hussein” Obama as its 44th president. The history has been mde as he is the first African-American to get aticket to the White House in one of the most watched US election of recent times. He posed an emphatic win over and bagged more than 335 of the 538 electoral votes (results still pouring in) as oppsed to his opponent, Republican John McCain who could manage only about 160+ (as of now).

Not only the people of US, the whole world neacceptanceeded a change. US is the most powerful nation in the world, its actions and policies have a direct effect on the world. People of America knew this as well, that is why they turned up in record breaking numbers to come out of 8 years of hell (as everyone calls it) of Bush’s rule . They stood for hours in queues outside voting stations to cast their votes.Everybody wanted to make a change and did their part by casting the vote. Anti-incumbency factor was such sweeping that Obama performed brilliantly even in pro-Republican states.More than 20 months or tireless campaigning has finally paid off.

Though everyone was virtually sure of Obama win, there were some fears like what if racism is still their in the nerves of people even if they do not show it? But it all proved to be a myth as America selected a black man with Hussein as his middle name as their president. (more…)