Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS) Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath Monday met and felicitated the National Bravery Award winning children in the capital Monday, ahead of their participation in the Republic Day parade Jan 26. Honoured for their exemplary deeds of courage, the children - two of whom were honoured posthumously - received their award from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday.

Congratulating the brave children, Tirath said: “The stories of bravery of these courageous children, some of whom even lost their lives while trying to save others, have set examples for all other children and have done the nation proud.”

Among the 23 award winnerss were seven-year-old Shravan Kumar of Rajasthan, who saved the lives of two others from a fire, and 16-year-old Sunita Murmu of West Bengal, who fought her oppressors and got justice.

Murmu was paraded naked across three villages and molested by locals on suspicion of having an affair with a boy. However, she did not break down. Instead, she filed a police complaint, identified the oppressors and got them arrested.

Shuruti Lodhi, 13, and Champa Kanwar, 6, were given the bravery awards posthumously.

Lodhi was participating in a “Run to Live” race organised by an NGO at Dehradun last year. During the race, a tree suddenly fell on her. Even then she warned other children, so that they could escape and thus saved their lives.

Kanwar from Rajasthan was selected for the award for an unsuccessful attempt to save the life of her sister from a fire. Both she and her sister died in the incident.