News India Times

www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know I t’s been 25 years since the tragic day September 11, 2001. Since then, 9/11 has become one of those events imprinted in the minds of everybody, at least in North America. We know exactly where we were when we came to know and saw the attacks on the World Trade Center, when the build- ings came down, when horrific pictures of people tumbling down, amazing newscasts of first responders going into the dangerous spaces to rescue whomsoever they could. News India Times asked one Indian American who was saved by the skin of their teeth and lived to tell the tale. Dr. Ronac Mamtani (in his own words): Where were you on that day? I was a senior at Cornell, still try- ing to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. My father is a physician, and when I was younger I assumed I would probably become one too. Interestingly, he was the person who encouraged me to look into other careers. He had seen medicine chang- ing and worried that the relationship between doctors and patients was becoming ‘transactional’ - almost a relationship between ‘providers’ and ‘consumers’. He wanted me to make my own decision about medicine rather than simply follow him. Cornell had an “Urban Semester Program” that allowed students to spend time in NewYork City and explore different careers. I was good with numbers and interested in economics, so I ended up doing an in- ternship at Merrill Lynch in theWorld Financial Center, located right next to the Twin Towers. My first day was September 10, 2001. September 11 was my second (and last) day. I still have my Merrill Lynch name tag from that internship. I have kept it all these years. When I look at it now, it is strange to think about the young per- son wearing it. I had gone to NYC think- ing I was exploring one possible career. Within 24 hours, I began thinking about an entirely different one. What do you recall about that moment when planes began hitting the WTC? I remember pieces of that morning rather than a clean sequence of events. I had been paired during orientation with another intern – a young man from France. I wish I could remember his name. We were sitting in a cubicle doing training courses. I remember thinking the office seemed unusually quiet. At some point I wondered, where is every- body? Then I remember seeing debris falling outside. An announcement told us to stay where we were. I was a college student on my second day in a profes- sional office, so my natural reaction was to follow the rules. The French intern thought different- Living To Tell The Tale Of 9/11 By a StaffWriter PHOTO: REUTERS/ANDREW KELLY/ FILE PHOTO PHOTO:REUTERS PHOTO:@PC3I.UPENN.EDU A man takes a photo at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum near the Tribute in Light in Lower Manhattan, New York, September 9, 2015. The North Tower is shown burning after American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the tower at 8:45 a.m, on 9/11/2001. Ronac Mamtani, MD MSCE September 11, 2001: A Morning We Will Never Forget S eptember 11, 2001, began as a pleasant, ordi- nary late-summer morning. Our daughter had breakfast and left for school, and we were getting ready to start our day. A little before 9:00 a.m., we turned on the television and saw reports that a plane had struck one of the Twin Towers in NewYork City. Soon after, we watched in disbelief as a second plane hit the other tower. The scenes of chaos and confusion were deeply disturbing. Our greatest concern was for our son, Ronac, who was an undergraduate at Cornell University and was do- ing an elective onWall Street, not far from the Twin Tow- ers. We had no way to reach him and became increas- ingly anxious and worried as the hours passed. Our landline phone finally rang. It was Ronac. The relief was indescribable. He said, “ Ma, you’ve probably heard the news about the Twin Towers in NewYork City. I am OK. ” He had managed to find a pay phone to call us and let us know he was safe. There were many people waiting in line before him and after him, each hoping to make that precious call to a loved one. He told us he had to run to reach his dorm because there was widespread fear and limited transportation. As grateful as we were to hear his voice and know that he was unharmed, our thoughts were also with the thousands of people caught in the disaster. Watching the horrifying scenes unfold on television, we could only imagine what those who were injured, trapped, or searching for loved ones must have been experiencing. More than two decades later, we still remember the emotions of that morning with remarkable clarity: the shock of witnessing history, the anguish of not know- ing, and the overwhelming relief of hearing a loved one’s voice. Jaishree and Ravinder Mamtani September 4, 2026 News India Times (September 5, 2026 - September 11, 2026) September 11, 2026 14 25th Anniversary Of 9/11 - Continued On Page 18