2 fearless Valley teens among 22 on the coveted list
NEWDELHI:A Kupwara boy, who saved his family members when his house collapsed after an artillery fire, and a Budam teenager, who risked his life while trying to save a civilian engulfed in flames after a chopper crash, are among 22 youths who have been chosen for the National Bravery Award this year.
The names of awardees -10 girls and 12 boys -- were announced by the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) on Tuesday. The ICCW has instituted five special awards this year --- Markandeya Award, Dhruva Award, Abhimanyu Award, Prahalada and Shravan Award.
Shravan Award has been given to Sartaj Mohiudin Mugal, 16, for saving his sisters and parents when his house collapsed after an artillery shell hit it in Kupwara.
Mudasir Ashraf, 19, played a crucial role in rescue operations after an IAF copter crashed in Grind Kalan village in Budgam in February 2019. The chopper hit a civilian Kifayat Hussain who was caught in flames. Mudasir was first to rush to the site and tried hard to save Hussain even as the chopper was on fire. Later, he motivated other villagers to help the security forces to extricate bodies of the crew from the burning copter.
Markandeya Award goes to 10-year-old Rakhi from Uttarakhand, who saved her fouryear-old brother from a leopard. Sixteen-year-old Muhammed Muhsin from Kozhikode in Kerala, who drowned while saving three of his friends in the rough sea in April last year, has been chosen for the Abhimanyu Award posthumously. Dhruva Award goes to Purnima Giri, 16, and Sabita Giri, 15, from Odisha for saving 12 persons from drowning after a boat capsized in a river full of crocodiles.
Srimati Badra, 10, has been nominated for Prahalada Award for helping a friend who lost her right leg in a train accident. Due to her timely and courageous action, her friend’s life was saved.
Venkatesh, 11, from Karnataka, who guided an ambulance carrying a body and relatives of the deceased, during the floods last August will also receive the award.
Adithya K.,15, from Kerala will get the coveted Bharat Award for saving more than 40 lives after a bus they were travelling in caught fire.
The other recipients are Sri Kamal Krishna Das from Assam, Kanti Paikra and Bhameshwari Nirmalkar from Chhattisgarh, Alaika (Himachal Pradesh), Aarti Kiran Shet and Venkatesh (both from Karnataka), Zen Sadavarte and Master Akash Machindra Khillare, both from Maharashtra, Lourembam Yaikhomba Mangang from Manipur, Everbloom K. Nongrum from Meghalaya, Master Lalliansanga, Carolyn Malsawmtluangi and Master Vanlalhriatrenga (all from Mizoram).