She was shot in her right leg at the age of 9, while waiting at the railway station to board a train with her father and brother, and had to undergo six surgeries after that.
At the age of nine, Devika Rotawan survived the horrific 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008. The youngest witness of the incident was shot in the leg by Ajmal Kasab, the only surviving terrorist, at the Chhatrapati Shivaji railway station. She later testified against him in court at the age of 11. Now 24, and a final year Bachelor of Arts (BA) student at Chetna College in Bandra, Devika says on the 15th anniversary of the tragic attack that “she doesn’t need an anniversary to remember 26/11”.
Recounting Horror
While narrating the gruesome incident, Devika remembers every minute detail of the tragic day- the bullet that hit her, people collapsing, panic at the station, multiple bodies drenched in blood lying unattended, when she saw Kasab and the day of identifying him in court. “Sometimes the pain occurs as excruciating as it was on that night when I had no clue of what was happening and why,” said Devika while pointing at her right leg where she was shot, while waiting at the railway station to board a train, with her father and brother. She had to undergo six surgeries after that.
Struggle for Survival
Devika, who had dreamt of becoming an IPS officer to eradicate terrorism, opens up on her life as a survivor after the massacre and how it hindered her dreams. “But eventually life catches on. I will try my best to achieve the dream… Now I am looking for a job to support my family,” she said. “Amid the struggle to survive, there has been no room to prepare for civil service exams.” She added disappointedly, “There were multiple promises. But eventually one has to look out for oneself.”
Devika has witnessed numerous other personal setbacks. She lost her mother in 2006 to a prolonged illness and her father’s dry fruits business before the 26/11 attack was hampered while he was attending to Devika during her medical treatment. She has two elder brothers — one resides in Pune with his family, while the other has a disability due to an infection in the spinal cord. While Devika physically recovered from the attack in three years, however, she acquired TB in 2014 and had to undergo another round of medical treatment.
Due to this, she had to take another break of a few years during the Class 10 board exam. She had begun her formal schooling only at age 11.
The family is also battling a legal dispute for a home from the state government. Now, they have moved to a 1BHK flat in a residential building in Santacruz from a chawl in Bandra slum.“We have taken this on rent. My brother with a disability is working at a stationary shop and earns for the family. But I want to share the responsibility soon as our father is old now and has many health issues,” asserted Devika with great resolve.
Recalling her initial anger at the system for taking so long for Kasab to be hanged, Devika shared, “He was living well in prison, whereas our life outside was a struggle.
She added that her friends and relatives had distanced themselves from her and tagged her as “Kasab ki beti”. “Just because my father and I were among the witnesses who identified Kasab, we were looked at differently. People feel we are facing some death threat and it might harm them if they are associated with us in any way. Finding a house, a school and even expecting support from relatives was difficult,” she said.
“Now I know how important it was to have him alive to know more details,” she added. “Kasab was just one person sent for the job. What are we doing about the masterminds? Unless all such activities are stopped, there is no guarantee that there will not be another terror attack,” pointed out Devika.
Source: dnaindia.com