Nargis Bano waits one more age for bravery award

Nargis Bano waits one more age for bravery award
PRADEEP DUTTA

JAMMU, JAN 14: For the last three years, six-year-old Nargis Bano has been getting dressed up in her best on every Republic Day, only to be disappointed. A bravery award of Rs 10,000 was conferred on her three years ago, but the State Government is yet to give anything, but for a customary pat on the back.

Nargis had saved the life of her kid-brother after he fell into a ditch of water in a remote village in Kargil. Both she and her brother would have drowned had the then three-year-old girl not been alert. And brave.

January 26 is less than a fortnight away, and the Kargil administration is still trying to trace the file in which the General Administration Department (GAD) under order No 128-GAD of 1998, had recommended her name for an award. The then deputy commissioner, Kargil, had given a shield, but a cash-award is still awaited.

Since then, three deputy commissioners have been changed and all of them have been offering one excuse or the other for the pending duty. The then DC had told the girl’s family that they had received a fax but until the original order was received, the money could not be released. The villagers alleged some employees in DC office of asking them to pay half the prize amount if they wanted things to be speeded up.

The poor family had planned utilising the prize money in sending Nargis to a good school in Srinagar. Now the delay has shattered the plans.

‘‘Little Nargis is fed-up of the pre-Republic day preparations. How long will we lie to her,’’ rues Asghar Ali, Nargis’ father. Asghar for the past three Decembers, has been stitching a new dress so that Nargis is presentable for the Republic Day ceremony.

Din Mohammad, Deputy Commissioner, Kargil, flatly refused he was approached by anyone in this regard. ‘‘If such is the case, I will release the money,’’ he said. The reality remains that Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, K A Ganai, had sent a letter to DC, Kargil, on January 3 asking him to release the payment in favour of the girl. ‘‘I have also asked to find the reason for the delay,’’ Ganai said.

It was the afternoon of December 12, 1997, two-year-old Mohammad Abbas, fell into a ditch of cold water in Tanmosa village in Kargil. Nobody had noticed the child falling into the water. Nargis, playing nearby saw her brother falling in and without a second thought, jumped into the freezing water to save Abbas.The temperature outside was minus 25 degree centigrade and the ditch was deep. Nargis almost froze but somehow managed to get a grip of her brother’s jacket-cuff. Despite a lot of effort, however, she could not drag him to the edge of the trench. As an only option, and in agony, Nargis started crying. Hearing her cry, villagers rushed to the spot and rushed the siblings to a hospital.

‘‘Due to the freezing cold, my breath was getting weaker, but I did not allow my grip to grow weaker. As I realised that if I do that I will not be able to see my dear brother,’’ Nargis explained.

Meanwhile, after a report submitted by the witnesses, A M Mir, a state representative of Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) and a senior member of All Society of Rural Technology wrote a letter to Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah asking him to recommend the name of Nargis for the National Bravery Award.

The girl deserved a national award, say critics, but thanks to the failure of GAD to pursue her case at the national level, Nargis missed a chance of enjoying an elephant-ride on Rajpath. ‘‘At least now they should do something to encourage her,’’ said Mir.

After verification the Commissioner Secretary of General Administration Department, on December 24, 1998, had issued a notification. Five people from the State were selected for the Bravery Award to be bestowed to them on Republic Day, according to the document. The name of Nargis figured at the number-three slot.