26/11 victims' kin see local support in attack

K Unnikrishnan, father of slain NSG commando Sandeep Unnikrishnan, and Kavita Karkare, wife of slain ATS chief Hemant Karkare, said there might have “sleeper groups” of terrorist oufits in the city.

“I can’t believe that only ten people came and did so much damage in a city like Mumbai. There must have been support for them and there are sleeper groups which might have helped them,” Unnikrishnan said at a function organised by Sahara India.

Kavita Karkare also criticised the security establishment for its shortcomings and said it was likely that there was an element of local support. “There are many people supporting them (terrorists) and we should bring about a change,” she said.

Karkare blamed the political establishment, state government, intelligence machinery and Coast Guard for “lapses” resulting in 180 deaths.

Sahara India has pledged financial support to the next of kin of the 18 police and security forces personnel who were killed while taking on the terrorists in the city on November 26.
The wife of encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar, Smita, rued that society had already “forgotten” the lessons from the terror strikes. “During voting most people in the city went out for vacation showing that apathy has crept into even Mumbai’s residents,” Smita said.

Calling for action by India against Pakistan, she said: “They (the government) are talking about justice for Kasab but we are also part of the same democracy and also deserve justice.”  Smita hoped that punishment would be meted out to arrested gunman Mohammed Ajmal Kasab at the earliest.

However, not all the sentiments expressed at the function were bitter with Unnikrishnan praising the courage shown by all the security personnel who died in the terror strikes. “In the case of Karkare, people said he could have guided people from behind. But no one realises that he had the courage to go and fight the terrorists,” Unnikrishnan said.
Vaishali, daughter of slain police official Tukaram Ombale, said she hoped the courage shown by her father and his colleagues would be remembered by the country for a long time.
PTI