Karkare's wife refuses to give communal tag to terrorism, "Both H

The day after her husband was killed by a terrorist's bullet, her face was on television screens and newspapers across the country - a picture of stoic calm.And now, more than a month later, Kavita Karkare is trying to see and understand the larger picture.

Kavita, the wife of Maharashtra Anti- Terrorism Squad's (ATS) former chief Hemant Karkare, is concerned about the large number of terror camps in Pakistan, but refuses to give a communal tag to terrorism.

She read the Quran after Karkare's death. "Both Hinduism and Islam talk of peace."

The terrorists on both sides are heavily indoctrinated, they need to be told that their religions preach peace," she says, referring to Islamist and Hindutva terrorists. "Two wrongs don't make a right." A strong and spiritually inclined person, Kavita is very philosophical about the evil in human beings. "Every person has positive and negative sides. The moment you allow the negative side to dominate, you become a terrorist." Her husband also shared this nonjudgmental approach, she recalls. "Hemant would always say that I head the Anti- Terrorism Squad and not the antiterrorist squad. To him, the identity or religion of the terrorists didn't matter," she says.

Much admired for her restraint in the wake of the tragedy, Kavita says she draws strength from Ramdev's yoga and the lectures on spirituality at the Chinmaya Mission.

"These two keep me going," she says. "Ramdev has even volunteered to teach yoga to Pakistanis.

That's Indian culture." But it's not easy to be strong.

Kavita's eyes smart with unshed tears when she talks of Hemant. "It is more difficult for the children," she insists.

The Karkare home is like its inhabitants - the sense of stillness and tranquillity contrasts with the noise of ceaseless traffic outside the building, which overlooks an arterial road - the Tilak Bridge in Dadar East.

Artifacts carved out of driftwood adorn the walls of the house. "Hemant appreciated art," said an officer, known to be close to the martyred officer.

Kavita teaches sociology at NSS College in Mumbai.

Though an extremely busy police officer, Hemant was academically inclined. The two had met at a public speaking course.

Hemant's father was a communist supporter working in the railways while his mother, a teacher, was a BJP supporter.

Yet, people close to the family say, the two shared a relationship of mutual respect.

Hemant Karkare was an avid reader. "He used to read on all kinds of subjects. He gave the same liberal upbringing to his children." Kavita says it is important to take strong measures against terrorism.

"We don't want any other family to suffer like us," she says.

Kavita is extremely media shy. "My children worry about me, especially my daughters who are away," she says, talking about her married daughter who stays abroad and another one studying at the London School of Economics. Her 17- year- old son lives with her.

While Kavita is in favour of hanging Mohammad Ajmal Amir Iman aka Qasab, who allegedly shot Hemant, "because he has killed so many people", her younger daughter believes that alone will not solve the problem.

"She thinks it is important to address the root cause of the problem," says Kavita. "My daughter has had international exposure and she is studying international relations.

Her father also motivated her to think liberally."
Courtesy: Mail Today