JOIN USOn the afternoon of March 8, 2012, Tarang Atulbhai Mistry (17) was bathing on the banks of the Narmada river at Nareshwar in Gujarat.
He was distracted by several howls for help and saw many people drowning in the strong current of the moving water. Watching the disaster from just 15 feet away, Tarang dove into the 25-feet water and brought ashore a girl dragging her by her hair.
For the next hour or so, he repeatedly jumped into the water to save about six people, in an extraordinary act of bravery for which Tarang was chosen for the coveted Bharat Award.
Tarang’s name was one of 22 young brave hearts featured in the list of 22 children announced by Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) on Friday for the National Bravery Awards given to children showing exemplary courage in difficult situation. They will be presented the award by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the eve of the 63rd Republic Day. 15-year-old Ramdinthara from Mizoram, who sacrificed his life while trying to save his friend from drowning, is the only child to get the Bravery Award posthumously this year.
A 17-year-old girl has been chosen for the prestigious 'Geeta Chopra' award for her role in exposing the owner and staff of a children’s home in Delhi who sexually abused the inmates. The girl, who escaped the home, told her story to Child Welfare Committee with the help of an NGO, prompting National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to despatch a team to the home that unearthed the physical, sexual and psychological abuse inflicted on the children, besides other acts like selling babies and forced labour.
Sapna Kumari Meena (14) from Rajasthan receives the award for defying her father who wanted her to get married young just as her minor sisters did before.
Her letter to the District Magistrate prompted an order to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate to stop her family members from conducting her marriage.