“She was fond of our Indian knickknacks, and her visit to Pune was incomplete without spending long leisurely hours in Tulshibaug. During her last visit to Pune she had picked up quite a few tops and sarees,” said Anjali Datar, aunt of Indian-American aid worker Anita Datar, who was one of the 27 victims of the terrorist massacre in Mali on Friday.
Born and brought up in the US, Anita had roots in Pune, which she she loved visiting time and again.
Datar, a senior manager at Palladium, an international development firm, was in Mali on official work and was in Radisson Blu hotel there when terrorists stormed into it.
Anita’s father Ashok Datar hailed from Pune while her mother Sunanda was from Mumbai. In 1984, Anita had even studied at St Mary’s school in the city for six months. During their sojourns to the city, the family of Anita used to always stay with their uncle Kishor Datar. Anita’s last visit to Pune was in January this year, when she also brought here her eight-year-old son Rohan on his maiden visit to India.
“She had travelled to Delhi in March for official work, but could not visit us due to time constraint. A day before the start of the conference, she had called me and said she would call me at leisure from the US,” Anjali said.
Anita’s father Ashoke had travelled to the US in 1965 and subsequently acquired citizenship there. Both Anita and her brother (who is a doctor practising in San Francisco) were born there. Kishor said his brother used to live in New Jersey.
During her stay in Pune, Anita had enrolled for music classes at the Gopalgyan Samaj near her uncle’s home off Tilak Road. Other than classical music, Anita was fond of playing the flute. “We used to Skype with my brother regularly and once in two-three months, Anita used to join us online. Her work used to keep her very busy and she was given to frequent travels,” Kishor said. In fact, after her visit to Mali, Anita was supposed to travel to Delhi again in December.
Having a fondness of Indian designs, Anita had she had purchased a saree during her last trip to Delhi. “Even in Pune, she had picked up quite a few dresses of various designs. Also, she was fond of accessories,” said Anjali.
The news of her demise had shaken the elderly couple who said they were informed of it by their American relatives.
“We spoke to her parents and still coming to terms with it. The body will be brought to Washington and the last rites will happen there,” he said.
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