Assam brave hearts, young Nandita Das and Uttam Tanti conferred National Bravery Awards

He is barely 13 and she is only 11. But their courage, their acts of bravery and valour have been astonishing.

Uttam Tanti, 13, and Nandita Das, 11, both from Assam have been conferred the National Bravery Awards today as part of the Republic Day celebrations for their unparalleled acts of bravery in such young age.

Uttam Tanti who hails from Assam’s Dhekiajuli saved the lives of a woman and her five-year-old child during the floods of 2019.

Uttam, who was just 10 years old at the time of the incident, jumped into the raging flood waters of a river risking his own life and saved the mother and her child who were being swept away by the strong current and swelling river water amid the floods.

Uttam is a Class 8 and an amateur swimmer. He started swimming when he was five years old.

Nandita was just 10 years old when unidentified men tried to kidnap her from the Geetanagar area of Guwahati. Despite her very young age, Nandita, a resident of Guwahati, courageously fought her kidnappers and saved herself.

A total of 56 children from 17 states of India have been conferred the bravery awards for the years, 2020, 2021 and 2022 today.

The bravery awards are given by the Government of India and the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW).

The National Bravery Award Scheme was started by ICCW in 1957 to honour children who stand out by displaying exceptional bravery and providing meritorious service and to encourage other children to follow in their footsteps.

The recipients of the award are given financial support from philanthropists till they complete their education. Additionally, the ICCW provides financial aid through its sponsorship programme to students enrolled in professional programmes like engineering and medicine. For others, ICCW provides aid till they complete their graduation.

Also Read: 10 brave children from Northeast selected for National Bravery Awards