The two are among the 25 children who will receive this year's National Bravery Award; four of them will get the award posthumously
December 8, 2015, is a day etched in the memory of Akshita Sharma, 16, and Akshit Sharma, 13, residents of south Delhi's Malviya Nagar, for it was the day when the two returned from school to find the door of their empty house inexplicably ajar.
"We found the iron door on the ground floor of our house open. It usually remains shut when we come as both our parents are working," the siblings said. "Sensing something was wrong, I peeped through the window and saw two burglars walking inside our house," Akshita said. Without wasting any time, the two entered the house.
"As soon as we got in, the buglers tried to run away. I caught hold of one of them, who had a bag with cash and jewellery. He started thrashing me but I did not let go. When my brother saw I was being thrashed, he also jumped in and grabbed him. Meanwhile, the other burglar managed to escape," said Akshita, a Class XI student at the Sarvodya Senior Secondary School in Hauz Khas.
The two managed to take the bag from him and raised an alarm, following which some neighbours came and called the police.
The sister-brother duo is among the 25 brave children, aged between 8 and 17 years, who are set to receive the National Bravery Award from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 23. They are among the three children from the national Capital who have bagged the prestigious award for performing an extraordinary deed of bravery.
"We are really proud of our brave children. We are glad that they have been chosen for the honour," said their proud father Kewal Kishan, who works at a private firm.
Sharing their plans, the bravehearts said they wanted to do something productive. "I want to become an aerospace engineer while my sister wants to become a Chartered Accountant," said Akshit, a Class VIII student.
The National Bravery Awards, initiated by the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW), recognises children who distinguish themselves by performing outstanding acts of bravery. This year, 25 children, including 12 girls, will be given the award. Four of them will get the award posthumously.
The winners are selected by a high-powered committee, comprising representatives of various ministries, NGOs, as well as ICCW office bearers.
Among others, 18-year-old Tejasweeta Pradhan and 17-year-old Shivani Gond of West Bengal will get the award for fearlessly helping the police and an NGO in uncovering an international sex racket, leading to the arrest of its mastermind, and 15-year-old Sumit Mamgain of Uttarakhand will be honoured for fighting a leopard and saving his cousin's life.
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