Collegiate Times

"I know that they were attacking tourist locations, but I don't think that they were only attacking tourists. Every Indian, every tourist goes there. They were looking at attacking the city as a whole ... The fact that they ended up killing tourists just made it a worldwide issue, and that's what they wanted to do," said Jatin Thakkar, another first-year grad student in electrical engineering who hails from Mumbai.  

A major attack on a huge part of any major city is enough to send people into panic, remembering the foment that ensued after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The sentiment left after the attacks on the heart of one of the largest cities in the US is somewhat parallel to the reaction now felt in India.

"It is where all of the offices are, it's where everyone goes to work. So it's become a huge district, you know? It's the Commercial Business District, the CBD," Nair said.

As the shock of the event has begun to sink in, these Tech students find themselves with a feeling of being even farther from their loved ones than before.

"Even though we are so far away from our homes, we still remember all of those people who are affected by it, especially our families and all of our friends who are still living around that area," Rangekar said.

But with this feeling of how significant these attacks were, the focus is now turned to future safety.

"You keep thinking about the people back home," Nair said.  "And you have to think about how you have to be careful. It's almost like they can attack anytime. How can you prepare for that? How do you make yourself feel safe? You just have to look at it like there will be challenges and, OK, this is one more challenge."

Rangnekar expressed his pesonal hope for security to become a main priority, not only on a central level, but in separate states and cities as well.

"The tactics of terrorists have changed over time and I think that the security definitely needs to be stepped up to counter these attacks. Security should be given a priority," Rangnekar said.

But even with the sense of fear for what the future may hold along with the worry for friends and family, these students cling to a sense of timid optimism for their country.

"There was an instant swell of support for the nation, and I think that says a lot about the country," Nair said.  "This is what it is like in Bombay all of the time. We just pick up the pieces and land back on our feet."

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