Grand Tribute

They had seen some of his earlier works,the most recent being an obelisk at one of the suburban junctions. “Somewhere,my thoughts and theirs matched and over several meetings,they decided that I should design the memorial,” adds Cassum.

The location,for obvious reasons,was Marine Drive. The final decision to have it inside the Police Gymkhana facing the sea was “actually to create an icon for the world to see,but most importantly as a morale booster for its own force,” he says.

The challenge,says Cassum,one of the directors of Talati and Panthanky Associates Private Limited,was to ensure the memorial inspires awe and evokes emotion at the same time. “After all,this is going to stand for ever and remind us of the men who sacrificed their lives,” he adds.

The design of the memorial — the work was sponsored by a trust — has many meanings. The names of 18 officers,16 from the police force and two from the NSG,are inscribed on a huge plaque. It has 18 pillars coated with aluminium and steel and is shaped in the “form of a flame”. The memorial,over 28 feet wide and 14 feet tall,looks majestic. “Columns always define strength and 18 of them standing together facing the sea show solidarity. The flame shape is symbolic of the candles the city burned to express grief,” adds Cassum.

The movement of water on the base platform,as it stands nestled in greenery,denotes life,he explains.

The challenge was to make a memorial that no one had seen. The memorial would not just belong to the force,but to the many emotions the citizens of Mumbai went through in those three fateful days. There were many a sensitivities involved and there was no space for any mistake.

Further,it was going to be a tribute to the men who laid down their lives and had to match the expectations of the force and everyone who knew or were associated with these men,explains Cassum.

There were several challenges though. “The streetlights of Marine Drive did play mischief. We have lighting at prominent positions to highlight the values behind the memorial. Everytime we would make re-adjustments,the harsh lights of Marine Drive would ruin that. Fortunately,we finally arrived at the best setting and today,if one looks at the memorial in the evening,it stands with character reminding us of those three fateful days and telling us that the lives of these 18 men were not lost in vain,” he says.