'They came to our bedrooms, woke people who were sleeping, and shot them. For what? For what?'
On November 26, 2008, ten Pakistani terrorists unleashed a coordinated siege on Mumbai that would claim 166 lives and reshape the nation's security landscape. Among those who made the ultimate sacrifice were Constable Tukaram Omble who dared to take on one of the ten dreaded terrorists Ajmal Kasab near Girgaon Chowpaty and was martyred, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, the NSG commando who led the charge at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, and Inspector Vijay Salaskar of the Maharashtra anti terrorism squad, who was gunned down along with ATS chief Hemant Karkare and Additional Commisioner of Police Ashok Kamte near Cama Hospital.
Seventeen years later, as the NSG held its inaugural NEVEREVER Memorial at the Gateway of India, the families of these fallen heroes gathered to honour their memory -- and to reflect on a tragedy that continues to shape their lives and their understanding of sacrifice.
Divya Salaskar, Inspector Vijay Salaskar's daughter, and Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan's father and mother -- K Unnikrishnan and Dhanalakshmi Unnikrishnan -- spoke with Rediff remembering their loved ones and those who were killed in the most cowardly and mindless attack on Mumbai on the sidelines of the event.
Their words -- steady, unsentimental, yet piercing -- reveal how remembrance, not rage, keeps the spirit of their loved ones alive.
The Memory That Refuses to Fade
The NSG's NEVEREVER Memorial, inaugurated this year, is a travelling installation that will move between Mumbai, Delhi, and other cities that have borne the scars of terror. Its name is derived from the vow that India must 'never ever forget' the cost of complacency -- and the price paid by those who stood between the nation and chaos.
At the Gateway, the names of the 166 victims were projected in light. The hum of the crowd mixed with silence; there was neither wailing nor slogans: Only the quiet pride of families who have carried grief for nearly two decades -- and turned it into something larger.
Major Unnikrishnan's parents represent the endurance of military sacrifice; Divya Salaskar embodies the resilience of the civilian police. Both spoke without bitterness, without theatrics -- their tone anchored in moral clarity and nationalistic pride.
For K Unnikrishnan, the fight is not just against terrorism, but against forgetfulness. "See, terrorism from outside or inside the country -- it's the same thing," he says. "What they are doing is killing, unnecessarily killing people. That's it."
For Divya, it's about meaning -- the legacy left behind. "It is unfortunate that bravery has to be remembered like this," she says. "There are many other ways I would have liked to remember my father. But still -- I am proud."
Never Ever Forgotten
As the memorial flame flickered in the evening breeze, the three stories -- of a father, a mother, and a daughter -- converged into a single message. Not vengeance. Not despair. Just remembrance and resolve.
Seventeen years on, the faces of those who stood between Mumbai and mayhem remain India's conscience. The city has moved on -- the trains are full again, the hotels glitter, the sea waves slap against the promenade -- but under the Gateway's arches, the echo lingers.
Constable Tukaram Omble who took on Ajmal Kasab bare-handed and took his bullets in the line of duty...
Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan's act of bravery and selflessness at the Taj Hotel...
Inspector Vijay Salaskar...
ATS Chief Hemant Karkare...
Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte...
And countless others who made sure that when terror came calling, Mumbai did not kneel.
"It's not about how they died," says K Unnikrishnan, as the crowd disperses. "It's about how they lived -- and what they stood for. That is what India must never forget."
'For What? For What?': A Father's Haunting Question
At the NEVEREVER Memorial organised by the National Security Guard on November 26, 2025, to commemorate those who laid down their lives in the line of duty and those who were killed mindlessly by 10 Pakistani terrorists 17 years ago, the calm November evening was heavy with memory. The Gateway of India stood mute witness again -- not to gunfire and smoke, but to remembrance.
Standing among the families of India's bravest was K Unnikrishnan, the father of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, the 31-year-old NSG commando who died leading his men inside the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The major's last words to his team -- 'Do not come up, I will handle them' -- have since become a part of national lore.
Seventeen years later, his father still asks the simplest, hardest question: "They came to our bedrooms, woke people who were sleeping, and shot them. For what? For what?"
It's not anger, but disbelief that defines his tone. "Terrorism should not exist on this earth, at least not in our country," he says, his voice steady. "They don't have a target. What for they are doing so? You cannot say it is for religion. That is not right. So many people in India practice their own religion and live peacefully."
For Unnikrishnan, the memorial is not just ceremony -- it is reassurance.
"This is the first time the NSG or a special force is openly coming out and conducting a programme like this. It gives us confidence that we have people to rely on in emergencies," he says.
He recalls attending the Mumbai police's morning ceremony the same day. "The police, the commissioner, the chief minister -- they come to console families. It's not about money. It's about sincerity. That is what families want -- honour, and remembrance."
His wife, Dhanalakshmi Unnikrishnan, stands quietly beside him. The grief of 17 years has not dimmed their pride. Their son's story -- told again through the 2022 biopic Major, starring actor Adi V Sesh who also joined them at the memorial -- has reached a new generation. But the father's words cut deeper than any film: "It's a great loss to the family. We are there to tolerate that sorrow so others don't have to. Take him as an example and behave as goood citizens."
He has a simple message for young Indians who dream of wearing the uniform: "If they have it in them, let them join. Don't stop them. Not because someone's father was in the army -- but because they truly want to serve."
'The Feeling Never Changes': A Daughter Remembers
Just a few steps away from the Unnikrishnans stood Divya Salaskar, 38 now, daughter of Inspector Vijay Salaskar, the Mumbai encounter specialist who fell alongside ATS Chief Hemant Karkare and Additional Commissioner Ashok Kamte (his son, Rahul Kamte, who aspires to be an actor and who has done few stints as an assistant director steadfastly refused to repeated requests come on camera. "I didn't much like that expression of sympathy in people's eyes when they would come to meet us and offer their condolences; I'm not that comfortable sharing what I feel about the terrorist attacks; it's personal," Rahul says and excuses himself) near the Cama Hospital on that night of horror.
"Honestly," Divya says, "the feeling never changes. It's been 17 years, but it feels the same."
Her voice is composed, not shaky. She recalls the last moments she saw her father alive: "He left in such a hurry that he wasn't even able to say goodbye to me. His office hours were over. He could have stayed home. But he went. That speaks of his bravery."
Divya was only 21 then -- "I grew up overnight," she says quietly. "Every important decision after that felt like I was lost at every juncture. For a girl, having her father there means a lot. I didn't have that luck. It has shaped me into a very brave person, but I would have liked him to be around."
Each year on November 26, Divya and her mother visit the Mumbai police memorial before attending remembrance events like this one. But for her, remembrance is not confined to a date.
"You remember your family every day," she says. "It's not that today is 26/11, so I'll remember my father. It's always there at the back of the mind."
She's heartened that this year, the NSG -- her father's comrades in arms in spirit -- have stepped forward to host the NEVEREVER Memorial. "It's important," she says. "We attend every year's Shraddhanjali organised by the Mumbai police. But now, having the NSG host this event makes it feel like the whole security family stands together."
Her message to the young is sharp, almost a challenge: "Our forces require more strength. A lot of people leave the country to pursue their careers abroad. But if possible, join the forces. There are vacancies in the police, in the armed forces -- all three arms. Your country needs you more than anything. The country gives you so much; it's time to give back."
Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff
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