Ratan Tata Slams the Inactions of the Government

Date

November 28, 2008

Post by

arZan

Category

Bombay

Tata Group chief Ratan Tata Thursday slammed the government for not learning from the past and failing to put in place a crisis infrastructure that could be activated immediately after terror attacks in the city.

“We had a bomb blast some years ago. We should have learnt to get a crisis infrastructure in place that could snap to attention as soon as something happens,” he said outside Bombay House, headquarters of Tata companies.

“If we don’t have this, we will be subjected to great need of lack of protection for the citizen. People have been killed who are absolutely innocent,” he said.

Tata, whose group property Taj Hotel was at the centre of terrorist attack, said that the “terrible wanton” attacks on innocent people and destruction of prominent landmarks in India deserve to be condemned.

“Guests who have been innocent have been killed. People have got killed in the hotel. People got killed on the road,” Tata said.

Noted adman Suhel Seth who was one of the guests at the Taj last night, said, “Hotel management worked very efficiently to manage the crisis and text messaged the guests about the law and order problem that helped many to come out in time.

“It is a pity that the government has no crisis management and it looked like the callousness of a third world county instead of the financial capital of India.”

About the extent of the damage, Tata said he won’t be able to comment until his staff is able to make an assessment.

“We have not made the assessment. We have not been able to, we have been evacuated the hotel.”

When asked about the situation in the hotel, Tata said entire staff was evacuated at 8 in the morning and the building has been taken over by police.

“Our staff members have lost their loved ones. All this could have been minimised. But it is easy to say. Everyone is doing their best, but it is not coming together fast,”

“This is a very very unfortunate situation, which none of us are going to forget. My message really is that the government and state authorities should also not forgetthat,” Tata said.

There have been more than 400 guests at Taj Mahal hotel, Tata said.

Later he told private news channel NDTV: “My message really is that the government and state authorities should also not forget we had a bomb blast years ago. We should have learnt to get a crisis infrastructure in place that could snap to the attention as soon as it happens.

“It became very clear last night that we still do not have a crisis infrastructure in place in the city”.

If citizens of Mumbai have to live with this kind of environment, an infrastructure that would cope with this is needed, he said, adding unless such a system was in place citizens would continue to be subject to great deal of lack of protection.

“Innocent people have been killed on roads, in hotels, guests have been killed, our staff members have lost their loved ones, all of this could be minimised. It is very easy to say everyone is doing their best but it is not coming together fast,” he said.

“We must show that we cannot be disabled or destroyed, but that such heinous acts will only make us stronger. It is important that we do not allow divisive forces to weaken us.

We need to overcome these forces as one strong unified nation,” Tata said in the statement.

6 Comments

  1. rustom

    As long as Neta – Babu’s kin are safe from the enemy, we will have a lot of bombast, hot air & NO decisive & commensurate ACTION.

    Demographic change aided by corrup babus aids in the countries generation being subject to laws that are divorced from Indian ethos

    News channels initialy showed a conversation with one of the militants.His ideology was that muslims were illtreated in India and was fighting for Justice to such.
    Then how come we have half the bolywood industry with intelligent sucessfull Muslims or Heads like Azim Premji, scores of muslim business houses stretching from Mohmadelli road to kashmir to hyderabad.
    How come one of the top cops heading the Police ops was a muslim if such statements are to be believed.

    The fact is that to have secular India fight terrorists, one has to physologically combat such statements that make rounds so often and are sucessfull in garnering young muslims to shed their life for an invalid cause.
    If the society the terrorist come from is supposed to be good..then how come we have m illions of muslims taking shelter in western countries and non islamic countries like India as refugees.
    Indeed muslims alone can form a core group To end terrorism that talks of safeguarding Islam, the core but first the majority of such should be able to counter the aim for greater Islamic region, stretching from the Aegean Sea to Australia, to be achieved through terrorism, if not; then by the easiest route; Demographic change.
    But again are our paan chewing politicians brainy enough to acknowledge such?

  2. lalitha

    With due respect to Ratan Tata …Why were there no metal detectors at the entrance of the hotel?
    How could armed men enter the hotel ?
    There was no security barricade around the hotel…why?

    I have not only respect but also affection and admiration for Ratan tata but I regret to disagree with him on this particular issue…yes the govt should have taken measures as mentioned by Tata but TAJ is not a road side cafe …what happend to its own security measures?
    Armed men walk into the TAJ?How???

    Best rgds

    lalita

  3. rustom

    why always blame the govt..who is responsible for voting them in power. who has more acess to the president, Finance Minister, Prime Minister more often–the ‘aam Janta’ or the business bigwigs?

    When was the last time any of the bogwigs including media personell, advertising gurus who make advertisements for political parties, the owners/directors of Reliance /Tata/ oberoi/ Birla, Bajaj or any other such rasied security concerns when meeting with such? Have you Mr Tata?

    And HERES THE BOMBSHELL!! Evey day there is a armed forces soldier/officer dying in operations in J n K, in ASSAM, in Nagaland, Mizoram etc..EVERYDAY…yet NO ONE TALKS ABOUT THIS WHY? Since bombs are not falling on our heads in the rest of the country..WE THE CITIZENS want to LIVE in ‘ECONIMIC CAPITALS’ whilst IGNORING Soldiers dying EVERYDAY on our borders!!! HOW HYPOCRATICAL!!!

    A VEER CHAKRA AWARDEE(Vrc is for bravery in operations during war on foreign soil) GETS AROUND 900 RS.NINE HUNDRED ONLY AND a S.T PASS from the GOVT OF MAHARASHTRA!!

    When was the last time the ARMED FORCES HAD THE SUPPORT from the Citizens/business houses FOR THE 6TH PASY COMMISSION?

    AND YES IM STILL WAITING as a citizen of India for the SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE ARMED FORCES -the MADAM PRESIDENT to break her silence on Martyrdom of her forces!!!–

  4. rustom

    why always blame the govt..who is responsible for voting them in power. who has more acess to the president, Finance Minister, Prime Minister more often–the ‘aam Janta’ or the business bigwigs?

    When was the last time any of the bogwigs including media personell, advertising gurus who make advertisements for political parties, the owners/directors of Reliance /Tata/ oberoi/ Birla, Bajaj or any other such rasied security concerns when meeting with such? Have you Mr Tata?

    And HERES THE BOMBSHELL!! Evey day there is a armed forces soldier/officer dying in operations in J n K, in ASSAM, in Nagaland, Mizoram etc..EVERYDAY…yet NO ONE TALKS ABOUT THIS WHY? Since bombs are not falling on our heads in the rest of the country..WE THE CITIZENS want to LIVE in ‘ECONIMIC CAPITALS’ whilst IGNORING Soldiers dying EVERYDAY on our borders!!! HOW HYPOCRATICAL!!!

    A VEER CHAKRA AWARDEE(Vrc is for bravery in operations during war on foreign soil) GETS AROUND 900 RS.NINE HUNDRED ONLY AND a S.T PASS from the GOVT OF MAHARASHTRA!!

    When was the last time the ARMED FORCES HAD THE SUPPORT from the Citizens/business houses FOR THE 6TH PASY COMMISSION?

    AND YES IM STILL WAITING as a citizen of India for the SUPREME COMMANDER OF THE ARMED FORCES -the MADAM PRESIDENT to break her silence on Martyrdom of her forces!!!–

  5. rustom

    As long as Neta – Babu’s kin are safe from the enemy, we will have a lot of bombast, hot air & NO decisive & commensurate ACTION.

    Demographic change aided by corrup babus aids in the countries generation being subject to laws that are divorced from Indian ethos

    News channels initialy showed a conversation with one of the militants.His ideology was that muslims were illtreated in India and was fighting for Justice to such.
    Then how come we have half the bolywood industry with intelligent sucessfull Muslims or Heads like Azim Premji, scores of muslim business houses stretching from Mohmadelli road to kashmir to hyderabad.
    How come one of the top cops heading the Police ops was a muslim if such statements are to be believed.

    The fact is that to have secular India fight terrorists, one has to physologically combat such statements that make rounds so often and are sucessfull in garnering young muslims to shed their life for an invalid cause.
    If the society the terrorist come from is supposed to be good..then how come we have m illions of muslims taking shelter in western countries and non islamic countries like India as refugees.
    Indeed muslims alone can form a core group To end terrorism that talks of safeguarding Islam, the core but first the majority of such should be able to counter the aim for greater Islamic region, stretching from the Aegean Sea to Australia, to be achieved through terrorism, if not; then by the easiest route; Demographic change.
    But again are our paan chewing politicians brainy enough to acknowledge such?

  6. lalitha

    With due respect to Ratan Tata …Why were there no metal detectors at the entrance of the hotel?
    How could armed men enter the hotel ?
    There was no security barricade around the hotel…why?

    I have not only respect but also affection and admiration for Ratan tata but I regret to disagree with him on this particular issue…yes the govt should have taken measures as mentioned by Tata but TAJ is not a road side cafe …what happend to its own security measures?
    Armed men walk into the TAJ?How???

    Best rgds

    lalita