When Indru Watumull of Honolulu visited her native India earlier this month, she and others entering the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel had to go through security checkpoints.

Honolulu Native Safe After Mumbai Seige

 

A Honolulu man and his family are safe after commandos rescued them fro the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai.

 

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  But whatever controls were in place, they failed to deter gunmen who stormed the landmark hotel Wednesday night, taking Westerners hostage and killing at least 119 people throughout India's financial hub.

“;I think this has been some time in the planning,”; Watumull said about the attacks. “;It's very unfortunate. Nobody is safe anymore, it seems, in any part of the world.”;

All hostages were released from the Taj Mahal hotel yesterday, according to news reports.

The hotel's chief executive officer, Hawaii-born Raymond Bickson, and his family were safe despite having been in the hotel during the invasion, a spokeswoman told the Star-Bulletin yesterday in an e-mail.

Several Indian-born Hawaii residents have been glued to the television, reading news reports and calling relatives and friends in their home country to check whether they are safe and learn more about the massacre launched by suspected Muslim militants.

“;I'm especially concerned about an uncle of mine because he lives just two blocks away from one of the hotels,”; said Sumeet Saksena, a fellow at the East-West Center.

“;They are fine,”; he said when asked about his parents, who live about 20 miles from central Mumbai. “;But my uncle can hear the fighting, and he can see the action that's going on.”;

Maiju Kutty, a software engineer on Oahu, said his wife's uncle was temporarily trapped at the Taj Mahal hotel because he was attending a conference there when gunfighting erupted about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“;He was stuck inside for a while, but the police was able to get him out,”; said Kutty, who does work for the state Department of Taxation.

The Indian nationals said they believed the assaults may have been intended as retaliation against U.S.-Indian ties and their efforts to fight terrorism. They also noted the strikes were aimed to disrupt India's economy, comparing it to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York's World Trade Center.

Kutty, who was in Mumbai during bombings in 1993 that left 257 dead, said residents are scared to go out on the streets.

“;This is the first time ever in the history of Mumbai that gunmen have gone around shooting at random. It has kind of put fear into the people,”; he said. “;Usually, there is a blast and it's over. But this is not over. There is a confrontation happening.”;

Watumull, who returned to Oahu on Monday from her India trip, said some people were buying supplies in case they were ordered to stay locked up at home.

“;If you are uncertain about who is really behind it, then you don't know where the next strike will be,”; said Watumull, whose husband, Gulab, runs the Watumull stores, a family business here since 1914.

Raj Kumar, president of the Gandhi International Institute for Peace in Hawaii, called the raids “;a very cowardly act.”;

“;This was a crime against humanity,”; he said. “;We send our hearts and prayers to the victims and their families.”;