Thread by @SaketGokhale

On 21st October, like every year, we observed the Police Commemoration Day which is dedicated to police personnel who sacrificed their life in the line of duty.

This is my uncle Nandakumar Gokhale - the 1st officer to be killed in action in Mumbai Police in 1984.

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The same year that my uncle was killed, my dad made a promise to his soul, quit his job, wrote the civil service exam, and donned the uniform.

On my uncle’s 1 death anniversary memorial parade, my dad carried the sword of honor as a police officer.

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The BJP (then Jan Sangh) & RSS left no stone unturned to try to politicize my uncle’s death.

They’d planned to incite communal riots in Nashik (because my uncle was killed by gangsters who happened to be Muslims) & these evil plans were nipped in the bud by my father.

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Of his 30 years of service, dad served 13 years with a paralyzed hand & leg after being injured in the line of duty.

The same BJP/RSS arrested my father on the day of his retirement on false charges only to declare him innocent after 4 years of torture.

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Today, the BJP/RSS (who have blood on their hands & who hate our Constitution) try to give out nationalism certificates to us.

The people of the BJP/RSS, who are out to sell our nation, try to label us when we speak against them.

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This is my family’s contribution to our nation.

This is where I come from.

And as long as I’m breathing, I’ll never allow the hate-mongers to destroy the idea of a secular inclusive India which my family gave its entire life to protect & safeguard.

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