Saluting the little brave hearts this Children’s Day

Contributor: Bhumika Vikam, Staff Writer

This Children’s Day, we thought we’d do something different. We want to celebrate courage, bravery and valour in our little ones from all corners of the country. This leaves us with a hope that our country, the world and environment are in the right hands. Read on and get inspired…

Every year on Republic Day, our Prime Minister, awards the National Bravery Awards to children in the age group 6-18 years, honouring their courage and outstanding bravery. ‘Bravery is not the lack of fear, but the ability to move forward in spite of fear’. (Source: Pinterest)

This is why such children deserve to be honoured because, doing what they have done is not a cup of tea. They are those souls, who did not think once about themselves. Does the fear of death not scare them? It does. But in spite of that fear, they took a step ahead, risking their lives, to save someone else’s.

Here is a tribute to these brave hearts on Children’s Day 2017. While we may be listing just five of these little bravehearts, we can never discount the efforts by so many children of our country. 

1. Shivampet Ruchitha:

An 8 year old girl from Telangana, was honoured the Geeta Chopra Award on 26 January 2016. Shivampet showed exemplary heroism by saving the life of 2 other children. The incident took place in 2014, when Shivampet’s bus suddenly came to a halt on a railway track and a train was approaching the bus speedily. The brave girl used her presence of mind and pushed two students out of the window and herself jumped out. However she couldn’t save the life of her younger sister sitting in the first row. 16 students along with the bus driver lost their lives in the incident but Shivampet’s presence of mind and bravery saved herself and 2 others. Her award contained a cash prize of Rs. 40,000, a medal and she also got a chance to participate in the Republic Day parade.

2. Late Gaurav Kawduji Sahastrabuddhe:

Gaurav Sahastrabuddhe another brave child who was aged 15 years, lost his life in an attempt to save his four friends from drowning in the Saryu river, near Nagpur. He was a good swimmer and had gone to the lake one afternoon in June 2014. While playing in the water, his friends suddenly started drowning.  Gaurav swam for 20 minutes and rescued them all. But while trying to pull out the last boy, Gaurav hit his head on a submerged stone and drowned. Gaurav’s parents were honoured with the Bharat Award which is the highest of the National Bravery Awards by our Prime Minister in the memory of Gaurav on 26 January 2016.

3. Chongtham Kuber Meitei:

Chongtham Kuber Meitei from Manipur, a 13-year-old boy saved the life of a little girl from drowning by keeping aside his own fears and life. He himself was afraid to jump into a 10-foot deep well where the girl was drowning, but he risked his life, kept aside his fears and jumped into the well to save the girl. He was busy playing football when suddenly he heard the loud screams of the girl who had fallen into the well. If Chongtham wouldn’t have risked his life, the girl would have drowned. This courageous boy was awarded The General National Bravery Award on 26 January 2016.

4. Arjun Singh:

Arjun Singh from Uttarakhand in July 2014 fought off a tiger that entered his home and hence saved his mother’s life. The tiger entered their home while Arjun’s mother was feeding the cattle. Looking at the tiger, she immediately fainted on the spot, but this 16-year-old daring boy showed great presence of mind and rushed inside one of the rooms and grabbed a sickle to fight the tiger. When he realised that the weapon wasn’t long enough to hit the tiger, without getting too close, he picked up a stick and waved it towards it until others in his village reached and the tiger had to run away because of the crowd. This was something which even an adult wouldn’t have been able to do. Arjun was awarded the Sanjay Chopra Award on 26 January 2016.

5. Zeal Jitendra Marathe:

Last but not the least, comes 13-year-old Zeal Marathe from Vadodara, Gujarat. Zeal’s school bus lost control and children started falling out of the bus. However, somehow Zeal managed to get out of one of bus windows very safely. After that, she immediately used her presence of mind and started saving whomever she could. |She was successful in saving some lives. But this is not where she stopped. She took one of her teacher’s phone and diary from the mangled bus and informed the police. She even called the ambulance and some parents. Until help arrived, Zeal managed to keep many kids conscious and help them. She received the Bravery award on 26 January 2014.

The Lifestyle Portal salutes these brave children for the outstanding courage they possess. It is not just something to feel proud about but also to think how inspiring children can be. This Children’s Day, we would like to add: May we know them, and may we raise them. Jai Hind!