A Story of Ultimate Heroism and Sacrifice. Today's woman dreamer, Jui Navare, is the daughter of Hemant Karkare, the Chief of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), who was shot during the 2008 terrorist attack at the Taj Mumbai, 12 years ago (26/11) To honor her father, she wrote a powerful and heartwarming memoir. In this interview, Jui shares the journey of writing her book, its message, her father's advice and wisdom that she carries throughout her own life, and her journey from Mumbai to Boston. Thank you Jui for sharing your story with us!

1) Your book is an intensely moving  story. Your father was the Chief of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist squad, and lost his life during the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack at the Taj Mumbai, sacrificing his life for the country. You shared his powerful story in your book, Hemant Karkare, A Daughter's Memoir. Tell us the journey behind putting this book together?

My father came from a small town in Central India- Wardha- born in a simple middle class family. His father was a guard in Indian Railways, the lonely responsible job where he had to be watchful all the time in the Guard Bogie at the end of a goods train, his mom was a high school teacher-a headmistress of a secondary small town school.

Hemant was the eldest of four children, two younger brothers and youngest sister. The family upbringing was in an environment of following the traditional customs and culture.  

As a child or student, my father was on the physically weaker frame and therefore was not impressive and this always bugged him. He finished his schooling in Wardha and the family moved to Nagpur where he did his two years of pre-university education and engineering degree from the top ranked Institute in Nagpur.

 

I think my father started writing his daily diary when he was around 19-20 years old.This diary which I happened to discover while sorting things out after my father’s untimely, sudden death and the treasure revealed in this diary gave me a complete insight to my father’s transformation over time from a simple village boy to the towering ‘Role Model’ personality he rose to become. More of that is covered in a very elaborate manner in the book.

Back to the journey of ‘writing the book’!

Both my parents and the entire Karkare family, I would say, are book lovers and that love for reading has percolated down amongst me as well as my two younger siblings. My father had a huge collection of books in Marathi (my mother tongue), Hindi (our national language) and English. Many times over Sunday breakfast or over family meals we would discuss a particular author or a book, imagine us children under 20 and Mummy or Papa (I address my father as Papa) discussing a novel or biography or travelogue! Long and short of all this is that I have always been interested in literature but had never ever imagined that I would write a ‘book’ on my father, and that too post his untimely death. 

I got married via arranged marriage in May 2007 in Mumbai, India and changed my name from Jui Hemant Karkare to Jui Devdatta Navare and moved to Boston in June 2007. Both my parents visited us in July 2008 for a fortnight to coincide with July 4th  weekend and all four of us had a great time.

But fate had different plans! In a span of 6 years I lost both my parents; Hemant Karkare, my father, the whole world knows how he lost his life in November 2008, but losing my mother, Kavita Karkare in September 2014 due to brain haemorrhage, just as we were getting adjusted to the life post 26/11 was a catastrophe.

My elder daughter was born in 2010 and younger one in 2013 and my Mummy kept visiting me regularly during her vacation time- she used to teach in a Teachers’ Training College in Mumbai.  In November 2013, during one of her visits to Boston, we were invited to a book launch by a friend of mine, Nandini Bajpai, at the Writers Loft in Sherborn.  While at the launch,  my mother casually mentioned that she would love for me to write a book on Papa.  After my mother’s death in September 2014, we were back in Boston, and one fall day, I had gone for a walk in the park with my two daughters in strollers.  I saw that there were so many kids with their grandparents, and I suddenly realized that my daughters will never be able to see my Mummy-Papa.  I went to a nearby cemetery to gather my emotions, and after I came home that night, I made a decision to start writing the book on Papa, as a tribute to my daughters, so that when they grow up, they will know who their grand dad was.  It was my mom’s desire or wish, or call it what you may - that this book has seen the light of day because although the whole world knew how Hemant Karkare lost his life, I wanted the world to know how Hemant Karkare lived his life.

2. What is the message the book conveys? How does it feel that so many people are now learning your father's inspiring heroic story through your eyes? 

When I started compiling the matter for the book a few years ago with many twists and turns till 2019, I did not know what shape this book is going to take.   Papa had left behind a lot of written matter and immeasurable goodwill amongst all his relations, friends, colleagues, superiors, acquaintances. And as I started reading, comprehending, digesting what all I had learnt, that I realised what a towering personality Papa was not only as an Indian but as a Citizen of the world. 

 

While the book was in its final stages of finishing and while the Editor, Publishers were in process of drafting ‘Synopsis’ to write on the back cover or front inside cover of the book, my closest friend from childhood happened to be in Boston to attend a programme at Harvard. I let her have a peek at the ‘copy’ and her instant response on completion of reading the book draft was “Jui, you should publicise this book as ‘Making of a National Hero’!”

As for me, looking back I am happy that readers of all age groups and from different fields, professions, disciplines  are finding something worthwhile to learn and emulate.

 

Many times we come across individuals who are versatile, many are born talented, many groom into great personalities because of their ‘Guru’, I think in Papa’s case he groomed himself into an all round personality, keeping his objective, mission, ’Lakshya’ before his eyes every moment of his life, not caring for his own LIFE.

 

Someone who has read this book over and over again said “This book is a treatise, a Manual for an aspiring ambitious Professional”. I get letters, messages from leading personalities in the business world, and teachers/professors from Institutes of repute e.g. IIT, that they want to use my Papa’s life history showcased through this book,  to enable students channelize their energies to achieve their ambitions and become good citizens.

 

They say ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, same manner ‘The message will be in the heart of the Reader’.

 

My objective was, is and will remain the same:

“How Hemant Karkare lived his life!”to be seen through a clear eyesight.

3) Your father was awarded the Ashoka Chakra in 2009 following his death, India's highest peacetime gallantry decoration. What were the best lessons you learned from your father growing up?  What was some advice he gave  you that you carry in your own life ?  

One important lesson of life is-there is a purpose and lesson to be learnt from each and every event which may appear mundane to you. I am not being philosophical but when readers read the book they will appreciate why I write this.

 

Never be afraid to speak the Truth and Stick to Truth.

 

Keep away from Controversy, Silence is a Virtue

 

Have a Hobby and Cultivate it, nurture it, Hobbies make a better Human being

 

Share what you have with the ‘have not’s

 

Exercise regularly and stay fit

 

Have Patience, persevere to achieve your mission, your dream, there is nothing ‘Instant’ in life except death.

4) You currently reside in Boston. Tell us about your journey from Mumbai to Boston. 

I have been living happily with my husband and two daughters, aged 10 and 7 in Boston.          I spent a major part of my life from childhood till getting married in 2007 in different parts of Maharashtra due to my father’s various postings.  I got a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from Pune University and an MBA in IT from Symbiosis.  As readers will read in the book, my father being in Indian Police Service (IPS) was posted in different towns of Maharashtra, then at Delhi and internationally at Vienna, Austria. So we had to move with him but many times due to educational considerations or Mummy’s job compulsions I spent significant time in Mumbai for secondary schooling and professional education in Pune till my Masters. I was engaged while I was finishing my MBA in Pune and moved to Boston in 2007 immediately after marriage and I’ve been here since then.

Besides my job as a Business Intelligence Developer, whatever little free time I get, I try to read books which interest me, learn a foreign language (nowadays, I’m brushing up on my German), help my two daughters with their homework and crafts which they enjoy.

5) How would you describe your father's legacy, and what advice do you want the younger generation to take from his story, and from your book?

 Oh, what a legacy!

 

My father passed away in 2008. I was coming to India a year or two later and I could not believe that one of my Papa’s senior colleague (a former Mumbai Police Commissioner) whom I had met just once immediately after 26/11 at home in Dadar where we lived walks up to me at Sahar Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in the arrival area seeing me with my kids and inquires if everything is okay? You will find his tributes to Papa in the book!  Not only was Papa a senior Police Officer but he was also a senior diplomat posted at the United Nations in Vienna, Austria for 6 years on deputation by the Indian central government.  He was a Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer and was a contender for the post of Police Commissioner of Mumbai. 

 

I visited Mumbai and Pune last November for the release of the book. At both places, the kind of warmth I enjoyed from members of Police Force, Media, Press Reporters, Audience and the awe they hold for Hemant Karkare is to be experienced to be believed. 

 

Every year, The Indian Express Group – a leading Newspaper publishing house hosts a star-studded event ‘Stories of Strength’ at the iconic Gateway of India in downtown Mumbai. On 26/11/2019, I was invited to address more than 2500 people, comprising of who’s who in Mumbai and was blessed by the Honourable Defence Minister, Mr. Rajnath Singh and the Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises for Govt of India, Mr. Nitin Gadkari, on presenting my book to them!

 

We (me and my 2 younger siblings) were fortunate to be able to donate our Mummy’s organs after she was declared ‘brain dead’ to give a healthy liver and eyes to needy all because of Papa’s legacy and Mummy’s perseverance to ensure justice was done to those affected by events of 26/11.

 

I am still young and learning, so it would not be proper for me to give advice to the younger generation, but I can emphatically request the younger generation to read the book. Everyone will benefit from reading the book not only from Papa’s life but from stories narrated by those who came in contact with him; every reader’s outlook, perception is different.

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Thank You Jui for sharing this powerful and heroic story with us! We are honored to have you in our empowered women’s network!

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