Two high school girls from Darjeeling, who acted as decoys leading to the busting of a cross-border flesh trade ring, and an eight-year-old girl from Arunachal Pradesh, who lost her life while rescuing friends in a river, are among 25 children chosen for the National Bravery Award this year.
25 children — 12 girls and 13 boys — have been selected for the award, which they will receive from the Prime Minister on January 23 and thereafter participate in the Republic Day parade, officials said.
For displaying extraordinary valour, Tarh Peeju has been conferred the Bharat Award posthumously while Tejasweeta Pradhan (18) and Shivani Gond (17) from West Bengal have been selected for the Geeta Chopra Award.
Tejasweeta and Shivani, both volunteers with a rights NGO, MARG, first befriended on Facebook a minor girl who had gone missing from Nepal, and who ultimately turned out to be a conduit in the trafficking ring.
Peeju, who died while rescuing two other children when they were swept away by the current in the Pachin River in Arunachal Pradesh, is among the four awardees to have been conferred the honour posthumously.
Also among those to be honoured posthumously is Payal Devi of Jammu and Kashmir, who lost her life when she tried to save three students during flash floods in Ramban in the Valley; all four were washed away.
Three children have been chosen for the Bapu Gaidhani Award. Roluahpuii (13) and H. Lalhriatpuii (13), both from Mizoram have been conferred this award posthumously. The third awardee is Tushar Verma (15) from Chhattisgarh.
Sanjay Chopra Award
The Sanjay Chopra Award has been conferred on 18-year-old Sumit Mamgain of Uttarakhand for displaying outstanding bravery in fighting a leopard to save his cousin’s life.
In the general bravery award category, two Delhi siblings have also made their mark. Akshita Sharma (16) and Akshit Sharma (13) fearlessly confronted two miscreants, who had broken into their house, and helped capture one of them.
Praful Sharma from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh has been chosen for his prompt action in stopping a bus of school children, which was sliding downhill and thus averting a major accident.
The President and several other dignitaries will host receptions in the honour of the chosen children. — PTI
