15 years of 26/11: How 9-year-old ‘youngest witness’ was called ‘Kasab ki beti’

It’s been 15 years since the horrific terror attacks rocked the city of dreams, Mumbai. Not only did the attack’s brutality shock Indians, but it also outraged the consciences of foreign countries.  The 60-hour siege of Mumbai had begun on 26 November 2008. Hundred and sixty-six people were killed in attacks on a major railway station, luxury hotels and a Jewish cultural centre. Nine gunmen were also killed in the terror attack. While many people pay tribute to the martyrs, for survivors, the trauma still lingers. For Devika Rotawan, who was barely nine years and 11 months old when she was shot in her right leg, justice remains a quest. Let’s take a look. Wounds are still fresh Just one month shy of her 10th birthday, Rotawan was shot in the right leg during the indiscriminate firing by terrorist Ajmal Kasab at the packed Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station. In the gunshots at the station alone, about 50 individuals lost their lives and another 100 were injured. In a crowded courtroom, Rotawan, now 24 years old, was the youngest “witness of the incident” and “the minor who identified Kasab.” Kasab received the death punishment in May 2010 and was executed two years later in Pune’s maximum security prison. While speaking to Business Standard, she explains, “I live with the memory. I wake up and go to bed with it.” Despite her young age at the time, she vividly recalls every detail of that horrific day, including the several victims who were left lying around with blood still pouring, the individuals who were shot at and collapsed, and the others who fled to save their lives. [caption id=“attachment_13431132” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A man holds a picture of Ajmal Kasab with a noose, as he celebrates the terrorist’s execution, in Ahmedabad on 21 November 2012. File photo/Reuters[/caption] According to The Indian Express, she periodically still feels shooting pain in her leg, “sometimes as excruciating as it was on that night when I had no clue what was happening and why.” While speaking about Kasab’s execution, she told the newspaper, “He was living well in prison, whereas our life outside was a struggle. Just because my father and I were among the witnesses who identified Kasab, we were looked at differently. People feel we were 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.” “Now I know how important it was to have him alive to know more details. There is still no peace. 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.” Also read: Moshe’s Mumbai trauma redux in Israel Happiness is hard-earned Prior to the 26/11 terror attack, Rotawan had lost her mother in 2006 from a protracted illness. Her father used to sell dried fruits. However, his business suffered as he was rushing to and from hospitals to get his young daughter the treatment she needed after being shot. She has two older brothers: one is disabled as a result of a spinal cord infection, and the other resides in Pune with his family. Rotawan, who made a full recovery in three years, developed tuberculosis in 2014 and required additional hospital visits. [caption id=“attachment_13431142” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] People formed a human chain in front of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station in Mumbai in December 2008 as they demonstrated against the 26/11 attacks. File photo/Reuters[/caption] The Indian Express claims that despite her sudden rise to national prominence following her court appearance, her childhood was anything but ordinary. By the age of 11, she had already undergone six surgeries. Her formal schooling, which began at the age of 11, was followed by another gap during the Class 10 board exam due to her illness. At school, however, there was no admiration. According to her interview with Hindustan Times, her friends and schoolmates had started distancing themselves and even called her “Kasab ki beti (Kasab’s daughter).” “I used to run home crying because the girls used to tease me and did not want to play with me,” she recalled. Many friends, relatives and neighbours distanced themselves from the family over fears of being associated with someone who identified as a terrorist. The family still continues to fight a legal battle for a home from the state government. Amid the struggles, they moved from a 12-foot by 12-foot room in a Bandra slum to a one-HK flat in a residential building in Santacruz. Also read: US okays extradition of Tahawwur Rana to India: What role did he play in 26/11? The struggle to survive continues… Now, just a month away from turning 25, Rotawan has transformed into a confident woman. She is a final year student of Bachelor of Arts (BA) at Chetna College in Bandra. Like many others, Rotawan and her family continue to grapple with challenges in a city of 20 million people. Her father, according to BBC News, has been jobless since his business was stopped. Her elder brother, now well enough to work, is the sole breadwinner of the family. He works at a stationary shop, as per The Indian Express. Her college fees are covered by a private trust, which aids survivors, BBC reported. She is currently looking for a job to “share the responsibility.” In her ongoing court battle, Rotawan is pressing the government for a promised home after the attack.

Maharashtra: 26/11 Mumbai attack survivor & eyewitness, Devika Rotawan says that she is facing hardship, especially following the lockdown period. She requests govt to fulfill the help assured to her earlier, in the wake of Mumbai attack. She says, "I seek support from the govt." pic.twitter.com/QA3KboJwcq

— ANI (@ANI) August 25, 2020

“There were multiple promises. But eventually one has to look out for oneself. We have taken this on rent. My brother with a disability works 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,” she said, adding that one matures with age. Rotawan was determined to stop terrorism by joining the IPS. “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 told The Indian Express. She acknowledges that she may face criticism for “speaking too big, too soon with no result to show,” but adds, “But then they don’t know the struggle  I have been through all these years… Amid the struggle to survive, there has been no room to prepare for civil service exams” With inputs from agencies