They have witnessed the horrors of terrorism and the havoc it wreaks on innocent lives. They have shifted charred corpses and victims screaming in agony to morgues and hospitals.

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And in the midst of all this, they have often stopped to wonder what makes terrorists the cold-blooded killers that they are.

But for the volunteers of the Mumbai Aman Committee, every terror strike in the city not only awakens a feeling of outrage but also a sense of compassion and social responsibility.

“The blasts on Wednesday brought back horrific memories... But there was barely any time to get angry at the perpetrators since there was so much work to be done,” says Mohammed Akhtar, who along with his brother Aslam, was among those who volunteered for the rescue and relief operations at Zaveri Bazaar. The activists shifted several of the dead and injured to GT, St George and Bombay hospitals.

Over the years, activists and volunteers of the organisation have swung into action every time the city is reeling under riots or terror strikes. The team, which is trained in basic first aid, helps in rescue operations by driving the victims to hospitals in the two ambulances that the Mumbai Aman Committee owns.

The organisation was formed after the 1982 Hindu-Muslim riots by a handful of like minded people in the congested Musafirkhana area in South Mumbai.

“We realised that the city needed a dedicated group of people to help those affected by man-made calamities like communal riots. Unfortunately, we have been very active since then because of the terror attacks on Mumbai every few years,” says Farid Shaikh, president of the Mumbai Aman Committee.

The organisation comprises volunteers, mostly middle class Muslims across the city who help in cash, kind or by volunteering their time.