This was a New Year’s eve with a difference, when a housing society in suburban Mumbai decided to usher in 2009 by remembering and felicitating the heroes of 26/11.
The managing committees of Evershine Millenium Paradise Phase I, in Kandivli East, in Mumbai’s western suburbs, decided not to have the usual evening of fun and frolic and instead remember the courage of martyred policemen and the heroes who saved the day for Mumbai, by inviting their families.
It seemed an impossible task given the time left and the hesitation of the families and the heroes themselves to come into the limelight.
The committee members need not have worried: about 400 of the complex’s residents braved the chill to spend the evening listening to Vandana Patne, brave policeman Tukaram Gopal Ombale’s daughter, encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar’s brother Dilip, policeman Balasaheb Chandrakant Bhosale’s son Sachin recall the circumstances that led to their death in the call of duty.
When Vandana was coaxed on to the stage and recall the evening when her father made history by arresting the terrorist Ajmal Kasab with just a lathi in hand and despite being pumped with AK 47 bullets, many had tears in their eyes.
“My father had just a lathi with him, why can’t our police be given guns? Maybe he would have been alive,” she said. Nafis Laljee, one of the organisers, said Vandana was teary-eyed all through the evening, remembering her father.
The children of Evershine Complex put up a moving skit on the terrorist attacks of 26/11 at the end of which residents recited the Indian pledge.
Dilip Salaskar said the perception of policemen as corrupt was completely wrong one, and had been disproved now.
The force had displayed immense courage and integrity and suffered the maximum casualties, he pointed out. In all 16 policemen had lost their lives in 26/11.
V D Zende, the railway announcer at CST who saved hundreds of commuters by risking his own, could see from his perch as terror unfolded in the concourse below: “I saw them opening fire and told the people not to come to the side where the terrorists were. When the trains pulled in, I asked the commuters not to come out.
“When the terrorists realised that it was the announcer sabotaging their plan to kill more people, they looked up and opened fire in my direction.
“I fell down. There was broken glass around me. I crawled to the door, shut it, placed a chair against it and continued my announcements.”
The committee members’ concern over poor turn-out was unfounded.
Even little children stayed through the evening, singing the Jana Gana Mana at midnight with gusto and marching resolutely with lit candles at the end of the felicitation.
Rajesh Harsh, who penned the moving skit, said this was the least one could do to honour the brave men who put duty above self, and nation over everything else.
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