New Delhi (NVI): Bravery has no age, neither a particular definition. 14-year-old Soumyadip Jana is one such example of bravery who has been awarded the prestigious National Bravery Award this year for showing exceptional courage. Here is his story.
On February 10 2018, the Sunjuwan Military Station (Jammu) was under a terrorist attack in the wee hours by three heavily armed terrorists.
After entering the military station premises, the militants knocked on Soumyadip Jana’s house. Hearing the commotion near the main door, 13-year-old Soumyadip pushed his mother and sister into a room and locked the door from inside.
After breaking open the main door, the militants tried to enter the locked room. By then, Soumyadip barricaded it with steel trunks and stood against them. The militants threw a grenade to break the barricade before beginning to open fire at the door.
The explosion and gunshots that Soumyadip bore alerted the forces who were able to subsequently nab the terrorists.
He has been operated multiple times since then and is unable to move on his own as the left side of his body is still paralysed. The brave boy cannot see properly due to left hemiparesis, severe right-sided hearing loss and neuro-psychotic impairment.
Master Soumyadip Jana was honoured with the Rashtriya Bal Puraskar by President Ram Nath Kovind, for his act of bravery, this Republic Day 2020.
