New Delhi: Ten years after September 11, 2001, the people in the United States have moved on, but, the horror of the worst terrorist attack remains as a nightmare on their minds. The few hours of terror changed America and thereafter, the lives of the people in America is not what it was before September 11, 2011.
IBNLive spoke to Atul Gupta, Director, Finance, Thomson Reuters (Professional Division), who experienced the 9/11 attack in the US.
IBNLive: Please narrate your experience at the exact moment when terror struck on September 11, 2001.
Atul Gupta: I used to work right next to WTC Tower 1 and took the subway as usual to work that morning. As I was getting out of WTC subway station, there was a bit of panic on the street and I heard that a plane had hit WTC-1. When I came out of the subway, I saw WTC-1 on fire, but it definitely did not look as bad at that time.
My initial thought was that it must have been a small private plane that had accidentally ran into the tower - too bad, but they will soon fix it, I thought.
However, within a few minutes, I saw a full-size commercial plane flying into WTC-2. Chaos ensued and everyone started running and so did I. As I was running, I tripped over something and fell and the person behind me tripped over me.
As I turned to look behind, I saw something (not sure if it was a piece of the plane or the building) of the size of a car land about fifteen feet away from me. It was then that I first thought that it would not be wise to be around - my initial thought was that it was an attack of some sort and that more planes/missles/bombs could follow. So I ran back into the subway and caught the next train towards Queens (where I lived at the time).
IBNLive: Do you believe, as a New Yorker, that the city famous for its cosmopolitanism and welcoming atmosphere underwent a major attitudinal change post-9/11 in terms of the people's and the administration's attitude towards immigrants and specially the Muslim people?
Atul Gupta: America, maybe, but NYC not really.
IBNLive: Did 9/11 bring American Muslims more into the mainstream or did it lead to self-ghettoisation?
Atul Gupta: Islam and Muslims as a community have definitely become much more of a focus of attention post 9/11.
IBNLive: Honestly, do you think it has become more uncomfortable for Muslims and even Indian Muslims to live in the US? I mean are they subject to more scrutiny than a non-Muslim resident?
Atul Gupta: I would have to think yes.
IBNLive: How do you think 9/11 affected the Indian community in New York and US? Or is an Indian Muslim more comfortable there as compared to an Arab Muslim?
Atul Gupta: Honestly, I have not experienced even a hint of racism in NY. Post 9/11, they started having occasional police checks while entering the subways etc. I have always carried a backpack and have not been stopped once in ten years. I am sure that someone who clearly appears Muslim would have a different experience.
IBNLive: Homeland Security has beefed up vigilance and monitor electronic messages more robustly in the aftermath of 9/11. Do you think this has made the city and the country a lot safer? Or do you think it has become really intrusive?
Atul Gupta: As Americans, we have been used to a lot of freedom (spoilt in a way), so everything bothers us. But when I compare the security here to other places, it is very subtle and not much of an inconvenience in my opinion. I was in India recently and was surprised to see how they check cars and individuals at 5 star hotels and malls etc.
IBNLive: Did 9/11 change the way you thought about the world in any manner?
Atul Gupta: I now do think that anything can happen any time but it hasn't really changed my daily routine.
Comments
0 comment