'We had to lie flat on the road': Civil defence sirens bring back memories of 1971 war for Mumbai’s elderly

Marshall Ferro and his wife Gracy. The couple was newly married when the 1971 war broke out

As part of a planned civil defence preparedness drill, authorities will be sounding air raid sirens and activating other emergency systems across parts of the city this Wednesday. While officials emphasise that the exercise is routine, meant purely to test emergency response mechanisms, the wailing air raid sirens are expected to strike a deeper chord with many older residents.

For those who lived through the tense days of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, the sound isn't just a drill, it's a haunting reminder and flooding unsettling memories of a time when sirens meant real danger, covered doors and windows, blackouts, hurried evacuations, nights spent in underground shelters and families huddled together in fear.

For 72-year-old Sharad Chitale, a Bhandup resident, the news of an upcoming civil defence preparedness drill has brought back a flood of unsettling memories, of air raid sirens, fear, and uncertainty that defined his teenage years during the 1971 Indo-Pak war.

Sharad Chitale, 72

"I was a teenager then," recalls the septuagenarian, who was 18 years old then and lived in Mumbai Central at the time. "The moment the air raid sirens went off, we would rush into our homes or to the nearest shelter.

Windows were covered with brown paper to prevent light from escaping. We would huddle together wherever we felt safest. The first siren was always a warning to take shelter and switch off all lights. And then we waited, sometimes for what felt like ages, for the second siren, the one that told us it was safe to come out again."

Chitale's voice trembles slightly as he remembers those days. "It was a frightening time. People lived in constant fear, wondering what would happen next. There was always talk in the neighbourhood, ‘How long will this go on?' ‘How many days will we have to live like this?' I don't remember it so clearly now, but I know the sirens and blackouts continued for more than two weeks."

He pauses, the memories still vivid. "No one would ever want to go back to that kind of life. It was terrifying. Authorities are urging the public not to panic. Citing this as a standard preparedness drill, and have appealed to the citizens to treat it as an exercise meant to ensure everyone's safety in the unlikely event of a real emergency. Still, for those who carry vivid memories of wartime trauma, the drill feels less like a precaution and more like an echo of a past they would rather want to forget.

Marshall Ferro, 83, and his wife Gracy Ferro, 75, now residents of Borivli, were newly married when they found themselves living through the trauma of the 1971 Indo-Pak war. "We were neighbours back then, and were living in Mahim. We got married on May 22, 1971," recalls Gracy. "Just seven months into our marriage, the war broke out. It was an experience no one ever wants to go through."

"When the siren went off, everyone was ordered to rush home and switch off all lights. If you were on the road in a car, bus, or even walking, you were told to get down and lie flat," Marshall recalls. "In schools, students and teachers had to hide under benches. People would sit huddled in darkened rooms for hours, waiting for the second siren that signalled it was safe again."

Asked how they felt about Wednesday's civil defence drill, Gracy said, "It was terrifying back then. Hearing that sound again could stir up those old fears. But this is just a drill. Besides, in today's world, we have seen, heard and read about things that are far more terrifying. Still, those memories never really leave you."