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The youngest witness to depose before the court in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case, Devika Rotwan, is being denied admission to a private school on Monday June 21 according to an agency report from the Press Trust of India.
The reason for denial of admission is that the school fears reprisal from terrorists if the 11-year old girl who deposed in the court in 2008 is given admission in their school.
The father of the minor girl, Natwarlal Rotwan, told PTI that “my daughter has been denied admission in New English High School at suburban Bandra. The school authorities say they may face a terror threat as my daughter had deposed as a witness in the 26/11 case.”
Devika was injured during the firing opened by terrorists at Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus on November 26, 2008. Devika identified Ajmal Kasab (the terrorist who was captured alive) in the court as the person who went on a shooting spree on 26/11.
At first, the school authorities offered to give admission to Devika in Class V but later called for a letter from the government to the effect that she was injured during the terror attack if she was to be given admission in the school.
Natwarlal Rotwan (Devika’s father) is a businessman tried to get the letter as demanded by the school authorities but requested the school authorities to give admission to his daughter in the meantime.
“The school authorities made me do endless rounds and today they bluntly refused to give admission, citing security reasons,” claims Natwarlal.
This case merits thorough investigations by the state government as well as the central government. If Devika has indeed been harassed for being patriotic and helping the nation in identifying one of the most dreaded terrorists of all times, those who are responsible for it must be brought to book.
The school authorities had no business to call for a letter from the government stating that Devika was injured during the terror attack. This cannot be a pre-condition to giving admission to any child in any school. This was clearly a ploy to make things difficult for Devika to get admission into their school.
To deny a child admission for acting in the best interests of the nation is a crime against the nation. And, the school authorities should be dealt with firmly if Natwarlal’s allegations are found to be correct.
People who cannot stand up to the call of the nation do not deserve run schools in our country. Devika should have been welcomed with open arms and honoured for her bravery in deposing before the court. So, the school authorities are guilty on two counts if they denied admission to Devika on the grounds that she deposed before the court in the 26/11 case. It is a sad commentary on our system that Devika, who should have been honoured for her bravery, should be victimized one and a half years after the terror attack.
