Tukaram Ombale - the true hero of 26/11

It was the night of 26^th November 2008

Panic had struck the city of Mumbai. TV channels were carrying visuals of terrorists firing at bystanders from a Police vehicle. Policemen were conducting naka bandis with revolvers in hand ready to fire. Such was the state of shock everyone, the police included, was in.

Shots had been fired at Leopold. Terrorists had entered the Taj and Trident hotels, and a nondescript building in Colaba called The Shadab House or the Nariman House. Bombs had gone off in taxis in Vile Parle and Parel and unconfirmed reports said bombs had gone off in Malabar Hill and god knows where. Senior IPS officers had been grievously injured. How many of them were there, where, what next, no one had a clue !!

One definite piece of info that the police had was that the police vehicle from which the terrorists had shot at the public at Metro junction and been abandoned and there were 2 terrorists who had then taken a Skoda at gun point and were heading towards Girgaum Chowpatty. Men from the V.P. Marg police (Lamington Road), under whose jurisdiction Girgaum Chowpatty falls, had erected a barricade and were waiting, guns ready.

The Skoda came, crashed through the barricade and a volley of firing followed. One terrorist was killed. The second one came charging out. A cop shouted; take him alive, he’s evidence…. The rest of the story we should all know.

A heroic Asst Sub Inspector (One rung above what we aam janta call havaldar or constable) named Tukaram Ombale jumped on the Terrorist, caught his AK-47 by hand, held it against his chest, thereby shielding his fellow policemen from the bullets, and pinned the terrorist down. The other policemen were thus able to capture the terrorist, whom we now know as Ajmal Kasab, alive.

We read about the heroic death of ASI Ombale in the next days newpapers. We also read of his many humane qualities, which probably were instrumental in him deciding to take the brave step of certain death to enable the Mumbai Police and our nation in not only unmasking the true face of terror, but also parading him before the world to nullify the many negative voices emanating from our neighbour hood.Out of all the martyr's of 26/11, I would hail ASI Tukaram Ombale’s martyrdom as a heroic one

And now we read that this great man has indeed passed on his samskars, his qualities to his offspring. His daughter, Varsha Ombale, proved herself to be her father’s daughter. She declined to accept money collected by school children at a function held to honour her father. She instead asked that the money be used to help the needy school children itself and that her father would not have liked it if she had accepted that money.

O true hero of 26/11, we salute you with all our heart and soul.