On March 12, 1993, Mumbai (formerly Bombay) experienced 12 coordinated mega-blasts in just over 100 minutes. The explosions resulted in the deaths of 257 people, with another 1,400 injured and some still missing. It was the first taste of terror for Mumbai, a city that was once known as a 24/7 party destination. The term "terror" was considered distant and hazy before the 1993 attacks.

The 1993 blasts were in revenge for the December 1992 - January 1993 two-phased communal riots that shook the city following the demolition of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya. The attacks were orchestrated by the city's mafia baddies, aided by a variety of corrupt officials and unknown Pakistanis. It remains the country's deadliest and largest terror strike in terms of casualties.

The trial for the 1993 terror attack was long and winding, challenging the country's legal system. Despite some convictions, several of the prime accused like Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, Ibrahim Mushtaq Abdul Razzaq Memon, also known as Tiger Memon, and other notorious figures are still at large.

Mumbai faced several more terror attacks following the 1993 attack, but things improved after the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. While only one major incident has occurred since then, debates continue on revealing the N.N. Vohra Committee Report, investigating the suspected role of political or bureaucratic elements, and their alleged underworld links.

The 1993 Mumbai terror attack anniversary is a reminder of the city's vulnerability to terrorism and how it has affected the lives of its people.

(IANS)