Acceptance replaces anger before 26/11 anniv

There is no outpouring of public anger, no frenzied cries for hanging Ajmal Kasab, no towering hoardings of martyred policemen in street corners that aroused feverish patriotism as Mumbai prepares for the second anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks.

There is no outpouring of public anger, no frenzied cries for hanging Ajmal Kasab, no towering hoardings of martyred policemen in street corners that aroused feverish patriotism as Mumbai prepares for the second anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks.

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The outrage exemplified by shrill cries of "Hang Kasab" and "Death to Kasab" have given way to solemn acceptance of the tragedy despite an enduring sense of collective bereavement weakened in intensity with time.

This year again Mumbaikars will pay homage to their dead with prayer meetings, candle light vigils, a smart parade by the police force and renewed pledge to fight terror in the same undying spirit that saw it rise back to feet the morning after the 26/11 assault that sought to bring it down on the knees.

"Last year, the clinking of glasses was pretty loud here. This year it will be louder, trust me," says Ratish, a corporate executive and a patron of Leopold Cafe, the backpacker's favourite joint at Colaba.

It was here that fateful night of November 26 two years ago that the first bullet rang out from the Kalashnikov of a Pakistani terrorist that drowned the joyous clinking of glassware in cries of despair and death.

Within minutes, the bustling city of close to 14 million was besieged by fear as never before as its landmarks reverberated with gunfire and grenade blasts.