He was returning home after submitting the reports of the Malegaon blasts to his higher authorities when he heard about the news that some terrorists have attacked the Shivaji terminus in Mumbai, he asked the driver of his car to take him to that location, although he was not able to intercept the terrorists at the terminus, he continued the pursuit and at last caught up with them, but such a brave soul had to lay his life down due to the lack of ammunition, and effective protection. All that he had with him was a service revolver. He fell prey to the raging bullets of the AK47 brandishing miscreants. This brave son of India was none other than the ATS chief Mr.Hemant Karkare. He was one of the first victims of the Mumbai attacks which has burnt a deep hole in the heart of every Indian.
His father was an employee of ISRO and was against his wish to join the armed forces. If he had chosen to lead a normal life by listening to his father's words he would have been alive today and living among us not being recognized by any one. But today the entire country speaks of the valor that this 31 year old lad has shown. Yes this is the saahasagaatha of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan.
Born and brought up in Bangalore Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan joined the NDA (National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla) in 1995 before being commissioned into the army in 1999. He was always known among his compatriots for his generosity and leadership qualities.
On the fateful day of November 28th 2008 Major Unnikrishnan was engaged in a fierce gun battle with the terrorists who were holed up at the historic Taj hotel. Participating in an operation code named Black Tornado, Major Unnikrishnan was leading an elite group of NSG (National Security Guards). When one of his comrades got injured he immediately got him evacuated and started pursuing the terrorists who escaped to the next floor. Here he was grievously injured by the miscreants and later succumbed to his injuries.
One more rather unsung hero who laid down his life during the Mumbai siege was Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police 48 year old Tukaram Omble. Thanks to this daredevil, the police could arrest at least one terrorist alive, whom investigating agencies are now making sing. Based on the information received on their walkie talkies a group of policemen had prepared a naka bandhi to capture two terrorists heading towards them on a hijacked car. The terrorists who realized that they were in a fix tried to escape but in vain. So one of the terrorists Ajmal Amir Iman (the arrested terrorist) got down from the car and pretended to surrender only to open fire on the policemen a few seconds later.
Without caring for his life or the consequences, Ombale took Iman head on. He sprang towards the ultra and gripped the barrel of his AK-47 rifle with both hands.
With the barrel pointing towards the cop, Iman pulled the trigger. The brave policeman took all the bullets on himself. Bullet-holed Ombale collapsed, but did not let go of Iman. Thus, he not only provided a perfect cover to his team, but also prevented Iman from firing at any one else and in turn saving many precious lives.
Although these brave souls got their befitting respects and we bid adieu to them, one thought keeps ringing in my mind. For how long will we remember these brave souls?? Since time immemorial there have been martyrs who have laid down their lives for protecting their motherland. All that we do is sing about their bravery and then forget it till the next anniversary.
Reports, eyewitness and photographs of the Mumbai siege have brought up shocking realities into the forefront. Most of the terrorists who were involved here were within the age of 20 to 23 years. This further raises our concerns on the type of path that the youth of today are choosing to tread on and the ways in which social evils such as poverty, inequality and religionism are influencing them to choose such paths which is not only hazardous to their own self, but also to the world in which they live in.
On the brighter side, the point I would like to stress here is that, in spite of the aforementioned social evils or any such problems happening around them people like Hemant Karkare, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan ,Thukaram Omble and many more have and will be rising above horizon of mankind who will never look back for even a fraction of a second before making the supreme sacrifice for the safety of their comrades and their countrymen.
So what brings in this difference?? Well the question is debatable, and has been thrown around at every imaginable occasion.
This question brings to my mind a wonderful story that my grandfather had narrated to me in my childhood.
Once a Red Indian father was telling his daughter a story, when he told her that, “each and every man in this world has two wolves within him, one is the good wolf and the other the bad one”, the little girl true to her innocence wanted to know that which of those two wolves would finally win. So the father smiled at his little one and replied “The one that we feed”.
So there is no one else in the world but ourselves who have the power to decide what kind of life that we would want to live and what sort of path we would choose to tread. Its high time that instead of singing aloud the bravery of these magnificent heroes and forgetting them with time, we make their ideologies a part and parcel of our daily life. If each and every man in this world follows this, then I am sure that this world will be a better place to live in.
So lets join our hands together and make sure that we give these great souls a befitting tribute for their sacrifice, let us not let their ideologies die. Lets give them,
A LIFE AFTER DEATH........
