‘My resolve to combat terror has only strengthened’, says Devika Rotawan

AMBOLI resident Devika Natwarlal Rotawan 26 who was fired upon by terrorist Ajmal Kasab at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus just a month shy of her tenth birthday now lives with her father and brother in a oneBHK SRA flat allotted by the government following a legal battle The hall is adorned with certificates and bravery awards ldquoThe month of November is important as there is a rush of memories of that fateful day the dark night that changed everythingrdquo the Arts graduate saidIt was Devikarsquos testimony that nailed Kasab and sent him to the gallowsldquoFor 17 years I have been thinking of that dark November night every waking moment and will never get over it That incident dictates every decision and every move of mine There is almost no memory that precedes it It is regrettable that a key perpetrator of such a heinous conspiracy is still facing investigationrdquo she said referring to terrorist Tahawwur Rana who was extradited from the US to India in April 2025 ldquoAlso the terrorists of the Pahalgam attack are still out thererdquo she addedShot in the right leg below the calf the pain still lingers every winter and the gunpowderfragments of the bullet still hurt ldquoIt is a lifetime scar emotional and physicalrdquo she saidldquoHe threw bombs and then opened fire I could never forget his face My dad covered me and he walked off over my dad after kicking him When they called me to testify they made Kasab stand with a few other similarlooking people but I could look him in the eye and identify him confidently My dad had made me a strong girl He was with me He had identified Abu Ismail the other terrorist with Kasab that nightrdquo she saidAsked about her career and future Devika said she wanted to live for the country and combat terror ldquoI dream of becoming an IPS officer and if for some reason I am unable to achieve this I want to inspire all young girls to pursue such a careerrdquo she saidldquoEven today whenever terror attacks occur they reactivate my trauma but also strengthen my resolve to fight terrorismrdquo said addedA survivor speaks her mindIn a brief interview Devika Rotawan opened up about the nature of her interactions with the media thoughts about national security in todayrsquos times and her message to the children of India ExcerptsYoursquore one of Indiarsquos youngest terror attack survivors Do strangers ask traumainsensitive questions Where do you draw the lineYes There are a lot of experiences where people still ask me how I feel what was it like and many other such questions which take me back to that day I have learnt to handle them and know where to draw a lineAre these annual 2611 media interviews exhausting or healingThere is nothing else in my life but 2611 and I live with it every day This is the time when everyone is more interested in me than usual and I can convey my message and my views to everyone For the media it must be an annual affair but for me it is everyday lifeWhat is one question the media should stop asking youThey ask me to recall the trauma and expect a fresh and new reply every time They ask me why I have been giving the same replies This needs to stop I have to say that replies will be the same but my resolve against terrorism grows strongerWhat would you tell a nineyearold survivor of violence today mdash something you wish someone had told you in 2008I have learnt just one thing that I would love to share with others One needs to be strong and stand up against violence of any kindDo you think India is safer for children todayThings have definitely improved with better security and technology mdash I would say about 50 per cent mdash but there is still scope for improvement Terror attacks are still happening Take the examples of the Delhi blast and the Pahalgam attack There is a need to weed out terror at the rootsWhat is your message to Gen ZI am not too clear about these categorisations My message to young kids is to live in the present They are all glued to their mobile devices missing out on life The trend is growing at an alarming rate and the younger kids need to be aware of this