The Forgotten daughter of Rajasthan

The Forgotten daughter of Rajasthan, An inspiring story of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack witness Devika Rotawan

On the night of 26th November 2008, few terrorists entered Mumbai city through the seas and started randomly firing  at innocent people. Many people were shot dead and several others suffered severe injuries. One such girl was Devika Rotawan who was caught in the terrorist firing.

Devika Rotawan”s tale is an inspiring story of The forgotten Rajasthan ki Beti who identified the terrorist Ajmal Kasab in court. 9-year-old Devika was waiting for a train at CST station with her family when she was shot in the legs by Ajmal Kasab on the dreaded night of 26 November and suffered severe injuries.

She was hospitalized and later Mumbai Police managed to capture Kasab alive. But, they could not find any witnesses who were ready to identify him in court. In India, witnesses in judicial trials face a lot of hardships like social boycott, ridicule and mocking by friends, etc. Later, the police approached her father and also Devika to become an eyewitness in the trial. She was only 10 years old.

She immediately agreed. During the trial, she came to court on her crutches and identified Ajmal Kasab as the terrorist who shot people which led to his conviction. However, instead of saluting and admiring the courage and bravery shown by this 10-year-old, her own village members boycotted her and her family. She was given names like Kasab ki Beti by her neighbors. She struggled immensely in her academics as no school was willing to give admission to an eyewitness. Her father faced a lot of hardships in his business as nobody was ready to talk to him fearing attacks by terrorists. He shut down his business. Her brother who was taking care of her in the hospital was asked by hospital authorities to treat other patients without any proper gear. He developed an infection in his spinal cord and now his body shape is deformed. He is not able to lift heavy weights. They left their village and the family came to Mumbai searching for work. Her troubles did not end as her mother passed away in 2006 and now she is also fighting TB. They were promised a permanent flat by the government but they are living on rent. Her dream is to become an IPS officer and end terrorism.

Just 2–3 days back, Rajasthan based NGO Tapovan has come forward and offered financial aid for her studies. They have also offered them a home in Rajasthan”s Ganganagar.