Friends , today is the date that will be etched in minds of all of us forever.
26/11 , a date that is strongly etched in all our consciousness. An attack which shook the entire country. Yes its 1 year after the horrifying incident that happened at various places in Mumbai India.
10 terrorists entered Mumbai and created havoc in Mumbai, leaving many innocent people dead and many of them injured. Amongst all the chaos, there were people who fought bravely for the security of our country by sacrificing their own lives. This is just a small tribute to all the martyrs who played with their lives for the security of our Nation.
Heroes of 26/11
Hemant Karkare
He was the chief of the Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad. At 9.45 p.m. while having his dinner at his Dadar residence, he received a call about a terrorist attack at C.S.T. (earlier V.T.) station. He switched on the TV for news and left at once with his driver and bodyguards for C.S.T. There he donned a bullet-proof vest and helmet(shown on news channels live then), and went to Platform No.1 but found it deserted. He was then informed that the terrorists had moved to the Cama and Albless Hospital(in brief Cama) next to the Azad Maidan police station. At the police station he met Addl. Commissioner Ashok Kamte and Sr. Inspector Salaskar. The operation was difficult as it was dark and the terrorists were well prepared and virtually on a fidayeen mission. When these officers with a few constables went to Cama from the back side and Kamte fired at the terrorists, they(terrorists) retaliated with a hand grenade. Kamte then suggested to confront the terrorists from the front entrance of Cama. So a couple of constables were stationed at the back entrance of Cama and the rest boarded a Qualis jeep of an ACP. As they were moving, Salaskar asked the driver to let him drive. About that time, they heard on the wireless that the terrorists were hiding behind a red car. As they turned from the Crime Branch office towards Rang Bhavan looking for the red car, near the Corporation Bank ATM, they saw a terrorist running. Kamte or Salaskar or both fired, the bullet hitting the terrorist on his arm, his AK-47 fell down. He was Kasab, the lone terrorist captured alive later.
Vijay Salaskar
Vijay Salaskar was a Senior Police Inspector and encounter specialist serving with the Mumbai police. He is widely credited with killing 75'80 criminals in encounters ' most of these were members of the Arun Gawli gang. Salaskar was killed while fighting terrorists in the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.Captured terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab claimed responsibility for the killing. Before his death Salaskar was head of the Anti-Extortion Cell, Mumbai. His bravery was honoured with the Ashoka Chakra on 26 January 2009.
Ashok Kamte
He was the Additional Commissioner of Mumbai Police for the East Region. He was killed while fighting terrorists during the 2008 Mumbai attacks. His bravery was honoured with the Ashoka Chakra on 26 January 2009. Daring, but with an exceptionally cool head made Ashok Kamte an
excellent negotiator in crisis situations'a quality for which he was
summoned late night on November 26, 2008 to deal with terrorists holed
up in Mumbai buildings. During Mumbai's occasional communal violence between Hindus and
Muslims, the areas under his supervision remained largely free of
riots. He was known to be a secular officer and equally loved and
respected by both communities. Kamte was shot along with Vijay Salaskar in a narrow lane between St.
Xaviers College and Rang Bhavan by the terrorists. Kamte was probably
one of the few officers in the police force who won the admiration of
the public, as can be seen on the social networking site Orkut, where
more than 2000 fans have set up a community in his honour. A facebook
site from his high school has a lot of photos. Kamte was one of the 14 men from the police force who lost their lives in Mumbai's latest and biggest fight against terror.
Assistant Sub- Inspector Tukaram Omble:
Ex-Army man Tukaram Omble was a casualty of the Mumbai attacks, giving
his life to ensure the survival of his men and the capture of the sole,
surviving gunman, Ajmal Kasab. Omble was on duty on the night of the attacks and was ordered into
position on Marine Drive, following the attack on the popular Leopold
Caf nearby. Minutes after taking up his position, he and his team
engaged the terrorists, who were attempting to make their escape in a
hijacked car. Omble reportedly gave chase to them on his motorcycle,
armed with only a lahti. As the attackers approached a barricade, Omble maneuvered his
motorcycle to force the attacker to swerve and hit the dividers. With
the terrorists distracted, Omble charged them down and attempted to
wrestle Kasab's weapon from him. During the struggle, Kasab managed to
fire of several rounds which struck Omble in the abdomen. Collapsing,
Omble used his body as a shield to prevent his team being shot. He
managed to hold onto the gun and bought enough time for his colleagues
to kill the other terrorist in the car and capture Kasab alive, thereby
saving their lives and the lives of countless others.
Sandeep Unnikrishnan
He was a Major in the Indian Army serving in the elite National Security Guards (NSG). He was killed in action while fighting terrorists in the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. His bravery was honoured with the Ashoka Chakra on 26 January 2009. Major Unnikrishnan was the team commander of 51 SAG deployed in the operation at the Taj Mahal Hotel to rid the building of terrorists and rescue the hostages. He entered the hotel in a group of 10 commandos and reached the sixth floor through the staircase. As the team descended the stairs, they sensed the terrorists on the third floor. The terrorists had held a few women as hostages in a room and locked it from the inside. After breaking open the door, the round of fire by the terrorists hit Commando Sunil Yadav, who was Major Unnikrishnan's buddy partner.
Major Unnikrishan led his team from the front and engaged the terrorists in a fierce gunfight. He arranged for Commando Sunil Yadav's evacuation and regardless of personal safety, chased the terrorists who, meanwhile, escaped to another floor of the hotel, and while doing so Major Sandeep continuously engaged them. In the encounter that followed, he was shot from the back, seriously injured and succumbed to injuries.
A huge round of applause for the NSG commandos also for fighting with the terrorists continously for 2 days and becoming victorious !!! 👏
There are many other such HEROES who sacrficed their lives for our security . So let us just express our Gratitude for them and also wish that India takes some huge steps in regard with the security of the country.
May souls of all our MARTYRS Rest In Peace and thanks for making us feel that we are SAFE !😊
Salute to all those who've lost their lives trying to protect their people, and a warm RIP to all those who lost their lives in the battle. No terrorist act can, according to me, ever be a just one. Taking the lives of innocent people can in no way be justified for any means in the world. Hope someday we together find a solution to this!
they r not the only who hav done fr the country. salute all the ppl who hav sacrificed their lives n also those who went in bravely n came out defeating the terrorists. 😃
I salute All our heros from bottom of my heart. I know I cannot take away the grief from any of their family memebrs but I can add some courage to the lives of the family member by saying this that wheather it after a year or after 10 years I will make sure I keep you guys in my hearts and prayers. Their efforts have shown that in time of need we will be united as a nation and as universe. RIP all my heros of 26/11 as well as the victims.
