*'Sir has left', The Constable Said, Crying* *RANA AYYUB **reflects on the life of ATS Chief Hemant Karkare, who gave his last interview to her about the Malegaon blasts, days before being gunned down* [image: Cover Story - Mumbai Terror Attack 2008]
*In the line of duty* The state funeral of ATS chief Hemant Karkare *Photo: *Deepak Salvi As news of Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare's death in the terrorist attack came in, the reaction was one of disbelief. The images of him getting prepared to counter terrorists, putting on a bullet-proof jacket and a helmet had till some time been trickling onto TV sets. I had spoken to him just hours ago before the incident and it all seemed just a nightmare.But it was not to be. 54 year- old Hemant Karkare,one of the country's finest police officers, who had been in the news for the sensational revelations his team had made in the September 2008 Malegaon blast investigations had indeed been killed along with the other officers with whom he was out that night to fight the terrorists. It wasn't a surprise that Karkare went out to combat the terrorists himself.He liked setting examples for his colleagues. I had met him the day before for an interview ,one of the few that he had given since the Malegaon investigations and he was his usual careful self, giving away just what he was supposed to with the same composed demeanour ,something that had stayed throughout. But the pain he felt about the allegations that had been leveled against him and his team was apparent. 'My officers and I have worked with utmost sincerity in this case,cross-checking facts and detaining people only on the basis of evidence,' he said, as he spoke about the tirade launched by the Shiv Sena and the BJP against him and his team.The rightwing parties did every bit to malign his image accusing him of being biased and strictly following the government's directions. Clearly hurt at the allegations, it was obvious through the conversation that we had been giving details which would be inappropriate considering that it was never to be put on record. If there was one thing that Karkare would have never wanted to be accused of, it was of being biased.I remember messaging him once about a certain group of people accusing the ATS of illtreatment during investigations.In a meeting with his counterparts in Delhi at the time, he called immediately afterwards to put the facts in place . An extremely well read and well informed person, Karkare's father, worked with the railways while his mother taught in a school.After having completed his engineering from a college in Nagpur, Karkare worked for a couple of private companies before he made it to the IPS in 1982. After having worked in the naxalite affected areas of the Chandrapur in Nagpur and as a DCP in the economic offences wing in Mumbai ,Karkare served for seven years in the Research and Analysis Wing as well as a counselor in Vienna.During his stint there as a consular officer and a diplomat, he became a very sought-after officer for his hands-on experience and his insights. His expertise also came to be of immense use in the preparation of a UN convention against corruption in Vienna wherein he was given the job of negotiating on various clauses on corruption and money laundering. Back in India, the same expertise and his fair assessment of issues helped him get the coveted post of the ATS chief of Maharashtra. Courteous to the point of a flaw I remember being greeted with a "haanji bataayein"everytime we spoke on the phone.Phone calls and messages to him never went unreturned even if he was busy in meetings.He loved music and reading and had a keen interest in palmistry as well as an interest in sculpting driftwood. He had amassed an amazing collection of around 150 sculptures .His interest in reading was evident from the collection of books in his office and the regular additions made to the same. Our first meeting was spent discussing Suketu Mehta's *Maximum City* which he had just finished reading and not the work for which I had approached him..And the discussion continued.He would make it a point to message or call everytime he read something interesting, the last one being a recommendation on a book on International agencies.His thirst for knowledge and understanding new concepts was evident as he asked me about various things that we journalists did.He once said ' you have to tell me one day how these spy cam investigations work" and then remarked with a smile, "I hope you don't carry one every time you meet me". His approachable nature and a down-to-earth attitude made him a favourite with his colleagues and his subordinates.While he was firm in his stance he always gave a patient hearing to the views held by others — a quality which won him the respect and love of thousands who showed up at his cremation. Not just officials and ministers but the common people who had only heard of his bravery and courage. People who had got justice because of him travelled from far-off places to pay their last respects to him. As I got ready to leave his room after meeting him in his office the day before he died with a promise to have an informal meeting again the day after ,he told me that he had read my piece. 'We will discuss it when we meet next', he smiled as I nodded and left.The tomorrow never came .As I passed by his office after his death, I decided to drop by to talk to the constables who used to greet me everytime I went to meet him in his office. As I reached the gate, one of them came to me and said 'saaheb gele' (sir has gone), tears betraying both of us. I left without stepping inside. *From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 5, Issue 49, Dated Dec 13, 2008* --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
