Courageous children inspire us to do more
The grit, courage and strength of character displayed by each one of the 25 children selected for the National Bravery Award, stand in sharp contrast to the indifferent and sometimes criminally callous approach that adults often take towards those in distress. So, while on the one hand, we have children as young as eight years old, risking — and in some cases even losing — their lives to save others, on the other, we also have instances of injured people dying on the streets in broad daylight merely because no one could be bothered to stop for a minute and help. Take the example of Aryan Raj Shukla. When he saw his friends drowning in the Saryu river (in Faizabad), he plunged in and pulled them out.
But he lost his own life in the process, as he didn't know how to swim. He was all of 13. Eight-year-old Mahika Gupta had already been separated from the adults of her family after flashfloods hit the Kedarnath temple, but she was determined not to lose her brother. like Aryan, she too didn't know how to swim. She made up with raw nerves what she lacked in skill, and saved her brother from a watery grave. Now compare this to the passers-by who drove past a severely-injured Kanhaiya lal in a Jaipur tunnel in April 2013 even as he begged for help, his bleeding four-year-old in his arms, his wife and baby daughter half-dead by his side. The lal family’s motorcycle had been hit by a speeding truck, but for more than 40 minutes, no one came to their aide. Also, let's not forget that this was only months after the nation was outraged by the December 16 Delhi gang rape case — the brutality of the perpetrators who not just raped the victim but mauled her like a beast and beat her friend to pulp, had shocked us all. Should we not be also ashamed by the fact that the two victims, with hardly a heartbeat between them, lay by the roadside for half an hour as no passing citizen thought it fit to stop by and offer them assistanceIJ
In times such as these, the likes of Shubham Santosh, who will be receiving the prestigious Sanjay Chopra award, give us hope. The 17-year-old from Jalgaon, Maharashtra put his life at stake to rescue two girls from a burning vehicle. While others witnesses watched helplessly, Santosh got on his feet, unlatched the van from inside and saved the girls. His act of bravery reminds one of the courage of Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandes who stood up to do the right thing but were let down by society. They saved Priyanka Fernandes from her molesters, but found no help when attacked by goons later. The duo was stabbed to death on the streets of Mumbai in broad daylight in November 2011. More than 50 people watched the bloody ordeal; none lifted a finger. On January 24, as the little ones proudly accept their awards, one hopes that their bravery and courage will move us all to be more humane and sensitive.