State’s three children to get bravery awards

Raipur, January 17, 2012

State’s three children have been selected for National Bravery Award 2012 (NBA-2012). While the prestigious Bapu Gaidhani award will be conferred on Anjali Singh Gautam from Nakulnaar (Dantewada), the national bravery awards will be given to Sheetal Sadhvi Saluja from Shailendra Nagar Raipur and Ranjan Pradhan from village Bhathli under tehsil Baramkela (Raigarh).

The three children will receive award along with 21 others from different parts of the country from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on January 23 and 24 during a programme to be organised at his residence at New Delhi.

Notably, 24 children have been selected for NBA-2012 and highest number of award winner will be from Chhattisgarh. All the children will receive cash prize, medal and citation from the PM.

Earlier, Chhattisgarh Child Welfare Council had sent a recommendation letter to the Centre informing in detail about the bravery of the three children.

Notably, Anjali Singh Gautam (14) has been selected for bravery award for the courage she displayed in saving life of his younger brother from naxals on July 7, 2010.

On the fateful day, about 250 naxals entered Anjali’s house in the midnight at about 12.45 am and started firing indiscriminately. The naxal fire killed two members of Anjali’s family – Dharmendra and Sanjay while her parents quickly went upstairs.

In the ground floor were left Anjali, her younger brother Abhijeet and her grandmother. When the naxals inquired from Abhijeet about his parents whereabouts, he did not reply. This prompted naxals to fire on Abhijeet’s legs. Peeved by naxal fire, Anjali ran and lifted her injured brother on her shoulders and again ran amid naxal fire for about 300 meters till she safely reached her grandfather’s home. This is how she saved her brother’s life.

Similarly, Sheetal Sadhvi Saluja showed bravery and trapped two robbers who were trying to escape after snatching chain from her mother’s neck. On December 18, 2010, Sheetal and her mother were on way to Tatibandh in their two-wheeler when two robbers in another two-wheeler suddenly came close to them and one sitting behind snatched the gold chain from her mother’s neck. At that moment, Sheetal quickly grabbed the collar of one of the robbers’ shirt and did not leave it till they fell down and the passers-by surmounted them. Sheetal was later felicitated by Director General of Police and Chief Minister for her bravery.

While Ranjan Pradhan from village Bhathli under tehsil Baramkela (Raigarh) saved life of one five-year-old kid who fell in about 30-35 feet deep well on May 8, 2011. When the kid Rahul Pradhan fell in the well, Ranjan was playing close to him. When he saw Rahul falling and screaming, he instantly dived in the well and saved the child from drowning. In the well, Ranjan held the projected brick of the wall in one hand and on the other he strongly grabbed Rahul.

Meanwhile, Ranjan’s grandmother, who too was on the spot, shouted for help. Soon the villagers Ravindra Sahu, Khirsagar Das and Khemanidhi Pradhan reached there and took out both Ranjan and Rahul from the well with the help of ropes.