Commentary

Heroes At The Taj

Michael Pollack 12.01.08, 7:40 PM ET
My story begins innocosly, !ith a "inner reser#ation in a !orl"$class hotel. %t en"s 12 hors
later a&ter the %n"ian army &ree" s.
My 'oint is not to sensationali(e e#ents. %t is to e)'ress my gratit"e an" 'ay tribte to the sta&& o&
the Ta* Mahal +otel in Mmbai, !ho sacri&ice" their li#es so that !e col" sr#i#e. They, along
!ith the %n"ian army, are the tre heroes that emerge" &rom this trage"y.
My !i&e, ,n*ali, an" % !ere marrie" in the Ta*-s Crystal .allroom. +er 'arents !ere marrie" there,
too, an" so !ere /hi# an" 0eshma, the co'le !ith !hom !e ha" "inner 'lans. %n &act, my !i&e
an" 0eshma, both .ombay girls, gre! ' hanging ot an" 'artying the night a!ay there an" at
the 1beroi +otel, another terrorist target.
The &or o& s arri#e" at the Ta* aron" 2:30 '.m. &or "inner at the 4ol"en 5ragon, one o& the
better Chinese restarants in Mmbai. 6e !ere a little early, an" or table !asn-t rea"y. /o !e
!alke" ne)t "oor to the +arbor .ar an" ha" barely begn to en*oy or beers !hen the host tol"
s or table !as rea"y. 6e "eci"e" to stay an" &inish or "rinks.
Thirty secon"s later, !e hear" !hat son"e" like a hea#y tray smashing to the gron". This !as
&ollo!e" by 20 or 30 similar son"s an" then absolte silence. 6e croche" behin" a table *st
&eet a!ay &rom !hat !e no! kne! !ere gnmen. Terrorists ha" storme" the lobby an" !ere
&iring in"iscriminately.
6e trie" to break the glass !in"o! in &ront o& s !ith a chair, bt it !ol"n-t b"ge. The +arbor
.ar-s hostess, !ho ha" remaine" at her 'ost, motione" to s that it !as sa&e to make a rn &or
the stair!ell. /he mentione", in 'assing, that there !as a "ea" bo"y right otsi"e in the corri"or.
6e belie#e this corageos !oman !as mr"ere" a&ter !e ran a!ay.
76e later learne" that mintes a&ter !e climbe" the stairs, terrorists came into the +arbor .ar,
shot e#eryone !ho !as there an" e)ecte" those ne)t "oor at the 4ol"en 5ragon. The sta&&
there !as e8ally bra#e, locking their 'atrons into a basement !ine cellar to 'rotect them. .t the
terrorists manage" to break throgh an" lob in grena"es that kille" e#eryone in the basement.9
6e took re&ge in the small o&&ice o& the kitchen o& another restarant, 6asabi, on the secon"
&loor. %ts che& an" sta&& ser#e" the &or o& s &oo" an" "rink an" e#en a'ologi(e" &or the
incon#enience !e !ere s&&ering.
Throgh te)t messaging, e$mail on .lack.errys an" a small T: in the o&&ice, !e reali(e" the &ll
e)tent o& the terrorist attack on Mmbai. 6e &igre" !e !ere in a secre 'lace &or the moment.
There !as also no !ay ot.
,t aron" 11:30 '.m., the kitchen !ent silent. 6e took a massi#e !oo"en table an" 'she" it '
against the "oor, trne" o&& all the lights an" hi". ,ll o& the kitchen !orkers remaine" otsi"e; not
one sta&& member ha" rn.
The terrorists re'eate"ly slamme" against or "oor. 6e hear" them ask the che& in +in"i i&
anyone !as insi"e the o&&ice. +e res'on"e" calmly: <=o one is in there. %t-s em'ty.< That is the
secon" time the Ta* sta&& sa#e" or li#es.
,&ter abot 20 mintes, other sta&& members escorte" s "o!n a corri"or to an area calle" The
Chambers, a members$only area o& the hotel. There !ere abot 2>0 'eo'le in si) rooms. %nsi"e,
the sta&& !as ser#ing san"!iches an" alcohol. Peo'le !ere ner#os, bt catiosly o'timistic. 6e
!ere tol" The Chambers !as the sa&est 'lace !e col" be becase the army !as no! gar"ing
its t!o entrances an" the streets !ere still "angeros. There ha" been attacks at a ma*or rail!ay
station an" a hos'ital.
.t then, a member o& 'arliament 'hone" into a li#e ne!scast an" let the !orl" kno! that
hn"re"s o& 'eo'le$$incl"ing CE1s, &oreigners an" members o& 'arliament$$!ere <secre an"
sa&e in The Chambers together.< ,""ing to the escalating tension an" chaos !as the &act that, #ia
te)t an" cell'hone, !e kne! that the "ome o& the Ta* !as on &ire an" that it col" mo#e
"o!n!ar".
,t aron" 2 a.m., the sta&& attem'te" an e#acation. 6e all line" ' to hea" "o!n a "ark &ire
esca'e e)it. .t a&ter &i#e mintes, grena"e blasts an" atomatic !ea'on &ire 'ierce" the air. ,
ma" stam'e"e ense" to get ot o& the stair!ell an" take co#er back insi"e The Chambers.
,&ter that near$miss, my !i&e an" % "eci"e" !e shol" hi"e in "i&&erent rooms. 6hile !e ho'e" to
be together at the en", or 'rimary obligation !as to or chil"ren. 6e !ante" to kee' one 'arent
ali#e. .ecase % am ,merican an" my !i&e is %n"ian, an" ne!s re'orts sai" the terrorists !ere
targeting ?./. an" ?.@. nationals, % belie#e" % !ol" &rther en"anger her li&e i& !e !ere together
in a hostage sitation.
/o !hen !e ran back to The Chambers % hi" in a toilet stall !ith a &loor$to$ceiling "oor an" my
!i&e staye" !ith or &rien"s, !ho &le" to a large room across the hall.
Aor the ne)t se#en hors, % lay in the &etal 'osition, kee'ing in toch !ith ,n*ali #ia .lack.erry. %
!as *oine" in the stall by Boe, a =igerian national !ith a ?./. green car". % manage" to get in
toch !ith the A.%, an" se#eral agents ga#e me stats '"ates throghot the night.
% cannot e#en begin to e)'lain the le#el o& a"renaline rnning throgh my system at this 'oint. %t
!as this hy'er$a!are state !here e#ery son", e#ery smell, e#ery 'iece o& in&ormation !as ltra$
acte, analy(e" an" 'rocesse" so that !e col" make the best "ecisions an" ma)imi(e the o""s
o& sr#i#al.
6as the &ire abo#e s li&e$threateningC 6hat &loor !as it onC 6ere the comman"os near s, or
!ere they terroristsC 6hy is it so 8ietC 5i" the comman"os sr#i#eC %& the terrorists come into
the bathroom an" to the "oor, !hen they &ire in, ho! can % make my bo"y as small as 'ossibleC %&
Boe gets kille" be&ore me in this sitation, ho! can % thro! his bo"y on mine to barrica"e the
"oorC %& the %n"ian comman"os liberate the rest in the other room, ho! !ill they kno! !here %
amC 5o the terrorists ha#e sici"e #estsC 6ill the roo& stan"C +o! can % make sre the A.%
kno!s !here ,n*ali an" % areC 6hen is it sa&e to stan" ' an" attem't to rinateC
Mean!hile, ,n*ali an" the others !ere across the corri"or in a mass o& 'eo'le lying on the &loor
an" clinging to each other. Peo'le barely mo#e" &or se#en hors, an" &or the last three hors
they &elt it !as too nsa&e to e#en te)t. 6hile % !as tcke" behin" a co'le !alls o& marble an"
granite in my toilet stall, she !as &eet &rom bllets &lying back an" &orth. ,&ter or &aile"
e#acation, most o& the 'eo'le in the &ire esca'e stair!ell an" many sta&& members !ho
attem'te" to 'rotect the gests !ere shot an" kille".
The 10 mintes aron" 2:30 a.m. !ere the most &rightening. 0ather than the back$an"$&orth o&
gn&ire, !e *st hear" single, 'nctate" shots. 6e later learne" that the terrorists !ent along a
"i&&erent corri"or o& The Chambers, room by room, an" systematically e)ecte" e#eryone:
!omen, el"erly, Mslims, +in"s, &oreigners. , gro' h""le" ne)t to ,n*ali !as "e#ot .ori
Mslims !ho !ol" ha#e been slaghtere" *st like e#eryone else, ha" the terrorists gone into
their room. E#eryone !as in "ee' 'rayer an" most, ,n*ali incl"e", ha" acce'te" that their li#es
!ere likely o#er. %t !as terrorism in its 'rest &orm. =o one !as s'are".
The ne)t &i#e hors !ere &ille" !ith the son"s o& an intense grena"eDgn battle bet!een the
%n"ian comman"os an" the terrorists. %t !as &oght in "arkness; each si"e !as trying to ot&lank
the other.
.y the time "a!n broke, the comman"os ha" sccess&lly secre" or corri"or. , yong
comman"o le" ot the 'eo'le 'acke" into ,n*ali-s room. 6hen one !oman aske" !hether it !as
sa&e to lea#e, the comman"o re'lie": <5on-t !orry, yo ha#e nothing to &ear. The &irst bllets ha#e
to go throgh me.<
The corri"or !as lace" !ith broken glass an" bllet casings. E#ery table !as trne" o#er or
"estroye". The ceilings an" !alls !ere littere" !ith hn"re"s o& bllet holes. .loo" stains !ere
e#ery!here, thogh, &ortnately, there !ere no "ea" bo"ies to be seen.
, &e! mintes a&ter ,n*ali ha" #acate", Boe an" % 'eeke" ot o& or stall. 6e sa! mlti'le
comman"os an" smile" !i"ely. % ha" lost my right shoe !hile s'rinting to the toilet so % grabbe" a
sheet &rom the &loor, !ra''e" it aron" my &oot an" 'rocee"e" to !alk o#er the "ebris to the hotel
lobby.
,n*ali an" % embrace" &or the &irst time in se#en hors in the Ta*-s gron" &loor entrance. % "i"n-t
kno! !hether she !as "ea" or in*re" becase !e ha"n-t been able to te)t &or the 'ast three
hors.
% !ante" to take a 'ictre o& s on my .lack.erry, bt ,n*ali !ante" s to get ot o& there be&ore
"oing anything.
/he !as right$$or or"eal !asn-t com'letely o#er. , large bs 'lle" ' in &ront o& the Ta* to
collect s an", *st abot as it !as &lly loa"e", gn&ire er'te" again. The terrorists !ere still
ali#e an" &iring atomatic !ea'ons at the bs. ,n*ali !as the last to get on the bs, an" she
e#entally esca'e" in or &rien"-s car. % "cke" n"er some concrete barriers &or co#er an"
!on" ' the sb*ect o& 'hotos that !ere later s'lashe" across the me"ia. /hortly therea&ter, an
amblance came an" "ro#e a &e! o& s to sa&ety. ,n hor later, ,n*ali an" % !ere again renite"
at her 'arents- home. 1r Thanksgi#ing ha" *st gaine" a lot more meaning.
/ome may say or sr#i#al !as "e to ran"om lck, others might cre"it "i#ine inter#ention. .t
72 hors remo#e" &rom these e#ents, % can assre yo only one thing: Aar &e!er 'eo'le !ol"
ha#e sr#i#e" i& it !eren-t &or the e)treme sel&lessness sho!n by the Ta* sta&&, !ho organi(e" s,
catere" to s an" then, in the en", literally "ie" &or s.
They com'lemente" the e)treme bra#ery an" corage o& the %n"ian comman"os, !ho, in a 'itch$
black setting an" n&amiliar, tightly 'acke" terrain, #aliantly hel" the terrorists at bay.
%t is also ama(ing that, ot o& or entire gro', not one 'erson screame" or 'anicke". There !as
an eerie bt 8iet calm that 'er#a"e"$$one more thing that got s all ot ali#e. E#en 'eo'le in
a"*acent rooms, !ho !ere being e)ecte", ke't silent.
%t is mch easier to "estroy than to bil", yet someho! hmanity has manage" to bil" &ar more
than it has e#er "estroye". Eike!ise, in a 'erio" o& crisis, it is mch easier to &in" &alts an"
&ailings rather than to celebrate the goo" "ee"s. %t is no! time to commemorate or heroes.
Michael Pollack is a general partner of Glenhill Capital, a firm he co-founded in 2001.