26/11 victim appeals to Centre for strong action against Pakistan
Mumbai : A survivor of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, Devika Rotawan, on Wednesday urged the government to take stronger and bigger action than ‘Operation Sindoor’ to give a befitting response to Pakistan.
Speaking to IANS, Devika Rotawan said, “It has been 17 years since 26/11, but for me, that night still feels the same. It doesn’t feel like 17 years have passed. Even today, it feels as though I experienced that night just moments ago. I can still see everything clearly. I can still feel the bullet wound in my leg. The fear of that night — that dark night is still deeply embedded in my mind. Every year may change for others, but for me, it is just the passing of numbers. For those who lived through it, that moment remains frozen on that very day.”
Sharing her account of the night, she continued, “My father, my brother and I were travelling to Pune. We went from Bandra to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. We were sitting between platforms 12 and 13. Then my brother went to the washroom and my father said that after he returned, we would buy tickets. Suddenly, we heard the sound of explosions. People started running in every direction. I saw blood pouring from people’s heads, arms and legs. I couldn’t understand what was happening.”
“Then I saw a man firing recklessly. He looked like he was enjoying it. As I started running, a bullet hit my leg. The police took me to a hospital, but as it was already full, I was shifted to another one. I was hospitalised for more than one-and-a half months,” she recalled.
Devika said she felt partially relieved when Ajmal Kasab, the lone captured terrorist, was executed.
“I am happy that Kasab was hanged. I got justice, but it still feels incomplete. True justice will be served only when people like Kasab, who are still alive in Pakistan, are eliminated. Terrorism has not ended. I still feel no one is truly safe. Recently, we witnessed the Pahalgam attack and the blast in Delhi. Such incidents remind us that terrorism is still active.”
She added, “Our country gave a befitting reply with ‘Operation Sindoor’. But that was just a small trailer — the full picture is yet to come. I urge the government to do something bigger than ‘Operation Sindoor’ so that Pakistan gets the message and terrorism finally ends.”
Devika also shared the hardships she and her family faced after the incident.
“My father received threats asking him to withdraw the case or else he would be killed. But he showed immense courage and said, ‘Come and do whatever you want — we will not back down.’”
The 26/11 Mumbai attacks on November 26, 2008, carried out by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, targeted multiple locations in South Mumbai, including Taj Mahal Hotel, Oberoi Trident, Nariman House, Colaba Causeway and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.
Ten terrorists executed the coordinated attack, killing more than 166 people, including senior Mumbai Police officers Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar, Ashok Kamte and Tukaram Ombale.
