Mansha, Shangpon Konyak, Yoaknei, Chingai Wangsa – National Bravery Award 2017
Mansha, a 13-year old braveheart, was looking after two small kids after the demise of their mother, rescued them from the jaws of death. She was amply assisted in time by Shangpon and Yoaknei.
Chingai, a 17-year old braveheart, literally prevented an elderly man’s life from going out in flame on a quite Sunday devotional period.
For their courageous acts, the four young Nagas found their names among 18 bravehearts who were awarded with National Bravery Awards 2017 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a function in New Delhi on January 24. Three of these awards were presented posthumously.
Midnight rescue
On August 7, 2016, at around 1:30 am, Mansha, who helped take care of 3-year old girl and a 6-year old boy after the demise their mother, awoke to a faint struggling cry.
Her sleep disturbed, Mansha had gone to check and to her surprise, saw the father of the two children trying to strangulate the little girl child. Without a second thought, Mansha quickly pushed the father and snatched the baby.
A few minutes later, she heard another cry. She immediately rushed to find the father now trying to strangulate the son with a belt. Mansha pushed him away from the child and called for help. Hearing the commotion, the children’s maternal uncles, Shangpon and Yoaknei, staying in the adjacent room rushed to help.
As they were talking to Mansha to find out what had happened, the father ran towards the kitchen, grabbed an axe-like weapon and attacked his son. Yoaknei managed to snatch the child from the jaws of death but wasn’t able to do much to prevent the child from being grievously injured in the neck. Yoaknei and Shanpon instinctively acted and together they managed to overpower the father.
Police were informed and the father of the two children was subsequently arrested while the injured boy was rushed to the hospital.
Courage under fire
Chingai’s act of bravery occurred on September 4, 2016. It was a Sunday morning and most of the villagers were at church, when a house caught fire. The house at the time was occupied by a 74 year-old man, hard of hearing, who was taking a nap in his room. Unbeknownst to the elderly man, the kitchen went up in flames.
He rushed towards the burning house, banged open the door, went past the kitchen enveloped in flames and to the room where he found the elderly man sound asleep. He woke the man up and helped him out to safety.
The gallant teenager returned to the burning house and released livestock confined at the back of the house. The house was completely charred as LPG cylinders in the house exploded.