'I want them to be afraid of me'
Girl who was shot at by terrorist wants to fight back
Dubai: Ten-year-old Devika Natwarlal Rotawan embodies the resilient spirit of Mumbai. The pain of the 26/11 attacks is all too obvious when she is forced to rely on her crutches, but the chirpy girl who was shot at by one of the terrorists who attacked the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) railway station is in no mood to let the disability dictate terms.
"I want to join [the] crime branch [of the police] when I grow up and defend my country against terrorists. I am not afraid of them. I want to fight them all," she says.
Devika is being home-schooled because of the bullet injuries she sustained on her right leg. After being treated at the JJ Hospital in the city for over a month, she learnt to walk with the aid of crutches.
Her family was waiting for a train to Pune when the two terrorists started spraying bullets in the station. "We heard the gunshots and could see people running helter-skelter. Even before we knew what to do, Devika was hit by a bullet and fell to the ground. I dragged her behind a nearby pillar and waited for rescue," said her father Natwarlal, who sells saffron for a living.
Devika told Gulf News from her one-room house in East Bandra she clearly saw Kasab, the man who shot her. "I have seen terrorists in movies like Border and Kashmir. But [this time], I saw them in flesh and blood. Now every time I see Kasab on TV, I get so angry that he killed so many people."
When asked whether she is afraid of terrorists, Devika quipped: "If I get afraid of them, how will I fight the terrorists. I want them to be afraid of me when I grow up."
Positive thinking
Natwarlal says he is relieved that the traumatic incident has only had a positive impact on his daughter. "I am sure she will grow up to be a strong girl. She is enthusiastically learning English, saying she wants to become a crime branch officer. She also got inspired after meeting many police officials."
The family is optimistic about a bright future after moving to their small new house in Bandra. "My children matured ahead of their age because of the hardship they underwent after their mother died four years ago and my business collapsed. Now I can see them smiling again and happy. I want to put the past behind and give them good education and decent living."
