Daughter Of 26/11 Martyr Hemant Karkare Writes His Memoir

The memory of Hemant Karkare as the Maharashtra ATF head in a bulletproof jacket minutes after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks is etched in our memory. Eleven years after he succumbed to his wounds on that terrible night, his daughter Jui Karkare Navare says that her just-published biography of her father was “very hard” to pen but is “pleased” she has been able to finish it.

Navare told IANSin an interview that it was certainly challenging because at first, she did not know what she should be writing. Whether what was happening on 26/11 or whether she should only write about what she knows about her father's life. So, the focus of her book is about her dad's journey. It is about how he made himself to become what he was, concentrating on the positives and presenting an inspirational story for each.

“I spotted the journals he wrote when he was 21 and 22, and I was intrigued by how he minutely organised his day even when he was so young."

Navare, 38, had wedded in 2007 and went to Boston with her husband, an investment banker. The couple has two girls aged eight and five. On a vacation to India soon after her loss, she discovered the diaries he had penned when he was in his early 20s, and the roots for the book was established.

Read Also: Mumbai Gave Me My Life Back After 26/11: Kia Scherr

Motivation to write her father's memoir

“I spotted the journals he wrote when he was 21 and 22, and I was intrigued by how he minutely organised his day even when he was so young. For instance, he would engage in a debate and instantly write about the things he did great. And what were the things he did not do well in, and so on. I mean fundamental things like one should be applying simple sentences,” she further added.

“He wrote these diaries in 1977, and then in 1983, he evaluated those diaries. So, he was always continually seeing things, how he could better himself. That was the most valuable lesson that I received. That one has to keep on introspecting and seeing how best can you change things. That was what interested me,” Navare stated.

About the memoir

The novel brings to life a stalwart of the Indian Police Service (IPS) who was admired not only for his immaculate and exceptional professionalism but also for his creativity in art, amassed from the Maoist-infested forest of Chandrapur, where he was posted in 1991. The heartwarming biography gives recognition to Karkare's innumerable roles. Such as an excellent police officer, a family man, an artist, a dog lover, a social worker, a bibliophile and beyond all, a great human being.

Image credit: News State

Remembering her childhood

“The most recent remembrance I have of him was when he visited me in Boston in July 2008. He was in Boston for 15 days, and that was the last time I saw him. I still cherish those days because he was on vacation and he had the entire day free for me. We used to go for long strolls together; me, my mom and my father - the three of us. We went to visit Niagara Falls. It was the first and last time he came to see me, so I often remember those times,” Jui said.

Remembering her childhood, Navare recollected how her father always had to change her schools whenever he was posted to a new location. “I studied in 10 schools all over Maharashtra so every time we shifted to a new place, I had to begin all over again, make new companions. When I spoke about this to my father, he said that I should try to look at it this way that every time I move to a new place, I am learning so much more. And I am able to adjust to a new setting. He said that is very crucial in today's life. And I was someone who can comfortably accommodate any new conditions.” Navare stated.

“He wrote these diaries in 1977, and then in 1983, he evaluated those diaries. So, he was always continually seeing things, how he could better himself."

What the future holds

“Currently, I am delighted that I have finished this book about my father. This was my first book, and it was a tough book to write because of the subject. At the same time, I am elated that I was able to complete it. Hopefully, I'll plan to continue writing. I don't see myself writing fiction as of now. But I like learning about motivational stories about people like my father. I think that would be a subject that I would be happy writing about,” Navare concluded.

Read Also: How Sharmeen Hakim Gets To The ‘Other Side’ Of Every Story

Image: IndiaTVnews.com

Saumya Rastogi is an intern with SheThePeople.TV