I forgive attackers, says 26/11 survivor

"26/11 has given a great amount of pain. I did not want to act like a victim, but rather live with a lot of hope and love", said Karambir Singh Kang, who was General Manager of The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in the year 2008.

Karambir, who became General Manager of Taj Hotel in 2007, was on duty on the day of the attack and helped a lot of guests escape. He lost his family during the attack but strongly stood up to rescue the guests and other members present inside the hotel.

According to him, hotels are easy targets for such attacks, but hotels the world over have learned a lesson after 26/11. Karambir said, "After the incident we can see a high level of security in many hotels as owners have learned a lesson. Hotels are soft targets as many travellers and larger groups of people can be attacked under one roof. The Taj Hotel is a symbol representing the city and the country. The attack has affected the city at large."

Karambir worked with the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel till 2011 and later shifted to the Taj Hotel in the USA as Area Director.

Expressing his feelings about the incident and how he recalls the day, he said, "It was an unfortunate incident. For the past eight years, the day 26/11 has been a deeply personal day for me. I keep myself strong and keep going on with life. I have forgiven the attackers so that it does not hurt me."

On Sunday evening, Karambir was awarded for the courage he showed on 26/11 with The Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice, which is an initiative of the Harmony Foundation. Speaking about the award, he added, "Even if they are giving an award to me, I am dedicating it to my entire Taj family, who bravely stood up to fight back."