When Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was speaking at about 9.30
a.m. Wednesday in a caucus room of parliament, we heard a couple of
shots. We were not alarmed as we thought some construction work was
going on. Then, more shots were heard and we were alarmed, more so as
the Prime Minister was in the room, standing and speaking.
I
heard close to 30 shots, being fired one after another. We all were
alarmed and the first thing we did was to huddle in a corner as sitting
there could have made us direct targets. Many of our colleagues stood
around the the Prime Minister to protect him.
There are three
entrances to the caucus room and there is security outside. And that
could be the reason that the terrorist, Michael Zehaau-Bibeau, 32, who
was killed by parliament's seargent-at-arms, could have entered the
caucus room. It's the first room you enter from the side of the Peace
Tower. Heaven alone knows what could have happened!
We are not
allowed to carry with us our smart phones and so I wondered how could I
reach my family, how do I inform my loved ones that I am safe. I was
praying all the time and also thinking, as were other colleagues, that
this is my last day, I am not likely to survive, and praying within
myself "God help me, God help me".
We stayed locked up in the
caucus room for over 10 hours as security personnel went to each room,
to each corner to secure the entire building. We did not know, as we
were prisoners inside the caucus room, how many jihadis/terrorists were
there. Were there two, three? We didn't know who they were and why they
chose to attack the Canadian Parliament, the most sacred Canadian
institution, the heart of our democratic system.
After many
hours, we were allowed to use our smart phones and the first thing I
naturally did was to tell my loved ones that we were all safe.
What on earth could have happened had this man entered the caucus room? I dread to think of that.
As
soon as I got my phone, I took a few pictures of our caucus room, with
chairs and tables all piled up against the doors -- that was the only
thing we could think of to protect ourselves from inside. There was
complete chaos inside the caucus room.
We have a couple of
colleagues who are diabetics and they fell down. We all rushed to help
them. We were undoubtedly terrorised for close to 10 hours.
Now, after more than 24 hours, I am still thinking that had the terrorist entered our room, he would have killed all of us.
Personally,
I think terrorism is now a global phenomenon and democratic societies
are under attack. We have to fight them back. Our government will soon
introduce a legislation to fight terrorists and extremists within our
own country. Those who killed an innocent Canadian reservist on duty at
the War Memorial, in close proximity, is part of what we call home grown
terrorism.
I pray on this auspicious day of Diwali that it never
happens again, that, God, I do not have to go through this experience
ever again in my life.
(Nina Grewal was all emotional as she
talked over the phone from Ottawa. She was literally crying 24 hours
after her experience. She was completely shaken.)
(Nina Grewal is a Canadian politician of Indian origin in the Conservative Party.)