The Hindu : New Delhi News : Your bravery will inspire others, Manmohan tells children

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 26, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Your bravery will inspire others, Manmohan tells children

By Our Staff Reporter

The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the PM's wife Gursharan Kaur with the winners of the National Bravery Awards for the year 2004 at a function in New Delhi on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI, JAN. 25. The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, today presented the National Bravery Awards 2004 to 19 children, one of them posthumously, and hoped that their valour and courage will inspire others in working with compassion and honesty that is so essential for making India once again the "Sone ki chidiya'' (golden bird) that it was.

Addressing the children in the presence of the Congress president and Indian Council for Child Welfare chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, the Union Human Resource Development Minister, Arjun Singh, and the Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, the Prime Minister said the over 5,000- year-old Indian civilisation has had several brave people whose names find a mention in history books.

And even today, he said, India was in need of such courageous people to take it forward. Noting that in 57 years of Independence, a lot has been done and a lot remains to be done for children, Dr. Singh assured that his Government would increase upon and strengthen the earlier programmes. "Healthy and educated children will help make a strong and prosperous India,'' said the Prime Minister, who also presented the children with a personal gift along with the medal, certificate and cheque they received as part of the award.

The gathering was informed by the ICCW president, A. Damodaran, that since 1956, 669 children have been conferred with the bravery awards. She said the awards given to the 19 children today were also a tribute to the other brave children of the country and especially those who had saved the lives of others during the tsunami which struck on December 26, 2004. A third of all the victims were also children, she lamented.

The Geeta Chopra Award for the bravest girl was presented to 12 year-old Boya Geethanjali for fighting armed Naxalites at Ananthapuram village in Andhra Pradesh on June 23, 2003 and securing the release of a lady Member of Legislative Assembly they were trying to abduct. As Geethanjali and two women pounced on the seven Naxalites and subsequently the villagers also attacked them, the Naxals were forced to flee.

The other prestigious award, the Sanjay Chopra Award, was presented to 13-year-old Harsh Chaudhry, a resident of West Delhi. Harsh and his 15-year-old sister, Ritika, were going to their school on a cycle rickshaw on July 26, 2004 when they were stopped by a youth, Mangal Singh, who then stabbed Ritika repeatedly. Harsh rushed to his sister's rescue and sustained serious stab injuries in his stomach as well.

But undeterred, he continued to resist Mangal Singh and even held the blade of his knife. However, Mangal Singh managed to break free and again stabbed Ritika, who later succumbed to her injuries. By then, Harry had snatched the key of the culprit's motorcycle which prevented him from fleeing. Mangal was later arrested.

The posthumous award went to N. Kandha Kumar of Karur District of Tamil Nadu who had saved the lives of two of his schoolmates by pulling them off the school van which had got stuck on the railway tracks at a level crossing. However, Kandha Kumar was himself killed as a train rammed into the van while he was trying to help another student.

A physically challenged boy, Hotilal, also figured in the list of awardees. The 15-year-old boy had saved the lives of two of the three members of a family who had gone for a bath at Gaughat in Mathura (U.P.) but got swept away and started drowing. Though he managed to save two of them, his attempts to save the third life proved futile.

The other awardees honoured by the Prime Minister today were Majda, Lalthanzawna, Johncy Samuel, Mahima Tiwari, Khiangdingliana, R.K. Rahul Singh, Priyanka, B. Sai Kushal, Gopal Singh Sondia, Sajan Antony, Shiney T.A., T.P. Krishna Prasad, Vinod R. Jain, and Ramandeep Singh and Pawan Kumar.

Though the presentation ceremony was largely a solemn occasion, it was livened up by a Mickey Mouse, which had been specially flown in from Disneyland to dine and party with the children. The "life-size'' Mickey Mouse cheered and greeted the award-winning children and also many more from the Municipal Schools who had been specially invited for the presentation ceremony.

The gathering was also informed that the Union Sports Minister, Sunil Dutt, has declared that all the Bravery Award winning children would henceforth have free access to all Sports Authority of India playing facilities.

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