26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack: Apart from IPS officer, Hemant Karkare played many other roles in life

Mumbai, November 25, 2019: On the eve of the 11th anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai attack, the heroic personality of former IPS officer Hemant Karkare, was recalled through a book written on him.

The martyr’s daughter, Jui Karkare Navare, wrote in the book ‘Hemant Karkare: A Daughter’s Memoir’ that her father was not only an ideal IPS officer but also a social worker, family man, artist and a great human being.

Hemant Karkare was an ideal police officer

At the book release ceremony held here on Monday, IT engineer Jui said, “He played many roles throughout his life. He was an ideal police officer. He represented his country globally. He was also a social worker and an artist.” She said that this book is a motivational story of a normal boy becoming an exceptional one.

In the worst terror attack on November 26, 2008, 166 people were killed in Mumbai.

It is noteworthy that on 26 November 2008, terrorists attacked the Taj Hotel and other places in Mumbai. Hemant Karkare was then the head of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Wearing a bulletproof jacket, he went out to take on the terrorists and was martyred while fighting them. In this attack, 166 people including foreign nationals were killed and more than 300 were injured.

On 26 November 2008, the terror attack on Mumbai, the financial capital of the country, shook the entire nation. Today that attack has completed 11 years. The encounter between the security forces and the terrorists went on for nearly 60 hours. The terrorists targeted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Leopold Cafe, Taj Hotel and Oberoi Trident Hotel, Cama Hospital and Nariman House. The Mumbai Police confronted these terrorists initially. The next day morning, the NSG commandos took charge of this mission.

Lt Colonel Sandeep Sen, who led NSG team at Nariman House, says that he remembers every moment of this mission. It was the first time they were fighting a battle in the middle of the city and the whole world was watching it live. He has been associated as a consultant with the web series ‘The Seas: Twenty Six Eleven’ on 26/11 attack. The show is based on the book by author Sandeep Unnithan.

The colonel said, “There are retakes on the set, but there are no retakes in our work.”

Our job is to wipe out terrorists

He said that as soon as the order was received, the team reached Nariman House around 3 o’clock. He evacuated the nearby building in the night and killed the terrorists. He said that he wanted to join the army since childhood. Later he joined the NSG on deputation from the army. Nobody wants a disaster on the country, but it is our job to save the countrymen and wipe out the terrorists. We not only fight the enemy at the border but also within the country.

That’s why Dev Patel became a Sikh in ‘Hotel Mumbai’

The 26/11 film Hotel Mumbai will be released this week on November 29. The film stars Anupam Kher in the lead role as well as ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ actor Dev Patel. The film stars Anupam Kher as Chef Hemant Oberoi. Dev is playing the role of Arjun, a Sikh waiter. His character has been coined based on the experiences of some hotel employees. At the time of the attack, the hotel staff, regardless of their lives, had saved the lives of the guests. According to sources associated with the film, it was at Dev’s behest that director Anthony Maras agreed to make his character a Sikh. By doing this, Dev is trying to eliminate prejudice towards the Sikh community. After the terrorist attack on America (9/11), there was a misunderstanding about the Sikhs. Through his character, he has tried to overcome them.

 Many people lost their loved ones in the Mumbai terror attack. Even after 11 years, his memories are with his loved ones. Actor Ashish Chaudhary’s sister Monika and brother-in-law Ajit Oberoi were there during the attack at the Trident Hotel. After the death of both, Ashish is raising both children of his sister. That attack of 2008 changed Ashish’s life completely. He did not work in films for four years after the attack.

Ashish says, “Earlier I did not talk about this, but now I think that I am not the only one who has gone through this trauma. Many people have lost their loved ones. Whatever happened to me should not happen to anyone. I am very happy to see my family today. I have built a house, where we are all together.”