26/11 hero Hemant Karkare was a man of many parts, says book

Martyred IPS officer Hemant Karkare was not only a brave police officer, but also a social worker, a family man, an artist, who rose from humble beginnings and painstakingly moulded himself to scale great heights in life, according to a book written by his daughter.

The book, Hemant Karkare: A Daughters Memoir, written by Jui Karkare Navare, was on Monday unveiled at Crossword bookstore here on the eve of 11th anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.

Karkare, the then chief of Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), was martyred while fighting terrorists who had attacked the financial capital on November 26, 2008.

 

As many as 166 people, including foreigners, were killed and over 300 injured in the deadly strikes.

Published by The Write Place, this heart-warming memoir pays tribute to Karkare who played myriad roles in his life - as an iconic police officer, a family man, an artist, a dog lover, a social worker, a book lover and above all, a good human being, said Navare, an IT engineer.

Speaking at the event, Navare said, My fathers life was so inspiring that as a daughter, I felt like it was my responsibility to share the story of how he moulded himself from a simple boy to a dynamic personality.

"He played multiple roles throughout his life. He was an exemplary police officer, he was a diplomat who represented our country on global platforms, he was a social worker and an artist."

She said Karkare's life was a source of inspiration.

"It took him years of determination and hard work to imbibe so many qualities and I feel even if we can take away ten percent of learning from his life, we all will be in a much better place," Navare said.

The book documents various aspects of his personality portrayed through personal narratives by his police comrades, his professional contacts, relatives, friends, and acquaintances.

It is an inspirational story of a simple boy from humble beginnings who painstakingly moulded himself to scale great heights in life, she said.

The iconic image of Karkare, donning his bulletproof jacket and helmet to take on terrorists on the night of 26/11 attacks will forever remain etched in people's mind, she said.

The book brings to life a stalwart of the Indian Police Service (IPS), who was well-respected not only for his immaculate and noteworthy professionalism but also for his creativity in art, culled from the Naxal-infested jungles of Chandrapur district, where he was posted in 1991.