Kalnirnay founder plans book on Hemant Karkare

A book is being planned on the late Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, slain in the Mumbai terror attacks.

Pic/ Nimesh Dave

A book is being planned on the late Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, slain in the Mumbai terror attacks. Jayant Salgaonkar, director, Kalnirnay known for its best-selling calendars, has invited people who knew the chief, to send in their anecdotes about Karkare and share personal stories and memories, so that he can start compiling the book, which he plans to release six months from now.

Precious
Salgaonkar says, "I think Hemant Karkare's memories need to be preserved in book form for a longer shelf life.
He was precious."

Salgaonkar says though, "Kalnirnay has published several books under its banner especially self-help books, this is a personal endeavour. The book on Karkare, to be written in both Marathi and English, needs an international publisher to reach a national and a global audience."

Salgaokar says his book project, "Would basically be a compilation of anecdotes on Karkare. I shall cull from the best material that I receive. Since I have just started, I need time to decide on the number of pages and the pictorial content for the book."

Dharavi
Sharing one memorable anecdote which no doubt will find place in the book, Salgaokar says, "I met Karkare at the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) office just three weeks before he died. I had gone to meet him on a sensitive issue. He was his usual calm and composed self."

Salgaokar recalls, "At that meeting, I reminded him of how he had prevented late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi from getting out of his official car. Rajiv Gandhi was traveling from Sanjay Gandhi National Park (Borivali) to Dharavi once on a visit to Mumbai. At that time, Karkare was in charge of security."

Assassination
"As the car reached Dharavi, Rajiv Gandhi jumped up to get out of the car as he was scheduled to donate a sum of money for the development of Dharavi. Karkare prevented him from doing so. When Rajiv Gandhi said: if I insist on getting out of the car what would you do?

"Karkare answered: 'then I would have to push you back into it, since I am in charge of your security.'" Salgaokar continued, "I told Karkare, maybe if you had been there in Sriperembudur (referring to Rajiv Gandhi's assassination), you could have saved him. At that, Karkare had merely smiled and retorted in Marathi, 'When your time comes, you have to go. Nobody on earth can save you'."u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0

Mighty
Salgaokar says he knew Karkare through some common friends, "Though we lived quite close to each other, I am also a Dadar resident like Karkare was. I did not get to meet him as often as I wished because he was out of Mumbai so much."

Salgaonkar claims he would approach the Karkare family for an interview too soon. Salgaokar ends by stressing that though he plans to put the book on sale, "It is not written for profit or monetary benefit."u00a0u00a0

Want to contribute?
Send in your contributions to:
Jayraj Salgaokar
C/o Kalnirnay
172 M.M.G.S Marg,
Dadar, Mumbai 400 014
India
jayraj3june@gmail.com