Tributes have poured in from each arena after industrialist and Tata Group chairman emeritus Ratan Tata passed away at the age of 86 in Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital. The Padma Vibhushan recipient, who led the Tata Group for over two decades, had been in intensive care since Monday.
But this is the story of the dark time when this national icon stood tall during devastating 26/11 terror attack.
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In November 2008, Mumbai witnessed a devastating terrorist attack orchestrated by the Pakistani group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Ten terrorists infiltrated the city via the sea and targeted several prime locations, including the iconic Taj Hotel and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. The attack claimed 166 lives, including 33 at the Taj Hotel, and injured more than 300 people.
During the attack, Ratan Tata, then 70 years old, displayed remarkable courage and leadership. He was seen standing at the Colaba end of the Taj Hotel as security forces carried out operations against the terrorists inside. In the aftermath, Tata pledged to reopen the hotel and support the families of those killed or injured in the attack.
Speaking to National Geographic later, Tata recalled, “Somebody called me and said there had been shooting at the Taj. I called up the exchange Taj and there was no reply, which was very strange. So I got in my car and came here, and the watchman stopped me from going into the lobby because there was shooting. You know, at a time like that, we had about 300 guests in the hotel. There were. Restaurants were full, the people in the various restaurants who were removed and brought to the chambers. So the staff was terrific. Without a master plan of evacuation, they moved people to safer places. But many of them got killed in the process.”
“Throughout this period, he stood by the charge and stood by the management of the Taj right here outside on the pavement,” a staff member recalled.
Later in 2020, while recalling the incident, Tata wrote in an Instagram post: “The wanton destruction that took place 12 years ago today will never be forgotten. But what is more memorable, is the way Mumbai as a diverse people came together, casting aside all differences, to vanquish the terrorism and destruction on that day. Today, we certainly can mourn the ones we lost and honour the sacrifice of the brave who helped conquer the enemy, but what we must applaud, is the unity and the acts of kindness and sensitivity which we should cherish, and which hopefully, will continue to shine in the years ahead,”
The Tata Group formed The Taj Public Service Welfare Trust (TPSWT) to provide humanitarian support during disasters, and Ratan Tata personally visited the homes of victims to ensure their well-being. According to the BBC, he paid the relatives of those killed the salaries they would have earned for the rest of their lives, demonstrating his compassion and commitment to the affected families.