Click to play videoNew Delhi: If there's anyone we need to thank to bring Mumbai out from the clutches of terror, it's the boys and men in uniform who became our walls and saviours.
Captain Rayn Chakravarty, who operated in the Hotel Taj rescue in Mumbai is all of 29 but a very motivated man. He entered the hotel under siege at 1000 hours along with his team. After over 48 hours of exhausting exchange of fire with the terrorists, Captain Rayn Chakravarty emerged out of the building, victorious and tired.
But his smile said it all. Just as highly commendable are the deeds of Major Bharat Singh who took to saving hostages at Hotel Oberoi or Colonel Sunil Sheraon who was the Operations incharge.
The men in black eliminated every terrorist holed in up there and even lost precious colleagues like Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and Commando Gajendra Singh.
Even after the fierce gun battle that would have shaken many in his shoes, Captain Chakravarty's team has a message for the friends of the slain inhuman terrorists - Try coming here with your killer plans and we will sort you out and kill you all.
When his friend Major Unnikrishnan fell to the bullets of the terrorists, the Captain's mission became personal. He felt sadness engulf him but he beat that feeling to rise to the call of the mission.
Bharat Singh another close friend of Sandeep's was leading the commandos at Oberoi Trident.
36 hours of gun battles, explosions and burn injuries later he and his team managed to kill two terrorists and rescue 100 hostages.
"The biggest challenge was that I go in with 49 men and come back with 49. Sandy (Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan) and I were close and today I'm standing here without him. Whatever our success, nothing can replace that loss for us," said an emotionally overcome Captain Chakravarty.
Sunil Sheraon from the 51 Special Action Group was the brain behind Operation Mumbai. He wears his battle scars proudly, but has one regret that he'll carry to his grave.
"I wish we could have made it a little earlier. We could have saved so many innocent lives," said Sheraon.
In the days to come there will be much debate on the success and failures of Mission Mumbai. But there is one thing that is undisputed.
These brave commandos gave India its honour back. It's because of them that the nation stands taller and prouder.
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