Bantwal: 13-year-old Prathiksha gets bravery award for saving classmate's life


Abhijith N Kolpe

Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal

Bantwal, Jun 25: It was a proud moment for 13-year-old braveheart Prathiksha as she received 'Shourya' (bravery) award for showing immense presence of mind and courage and put her own life at risk to save her classmate from snakebite in year 2014 at the government school in Naila where she was studying in the 4th standard.

Prathiksha and other 19 bravehearts received Shourya award in a ceremony organized by Kannada Prabha daily and Suvarna News channel at Town Hall, Bengaluru on Friday June 23. The award function was graced by home minister G Parameshwara, energy minister D K Shivakumar, Bengaluru police commissioner Praveen Sood, Sandalwood actress
Ragini Dwivedi and others.

Born to Harish Moolya and Shobha, Prathiksha hails from Naila located at Panemangalore in Bantwal taluk. At present, Prathiksha is studying in 8th standard at Bondala Jagannatha Shetty Memorial School.

Speaking to daijiworld, Daniel, head master of DK ZP Higher Primary School, Naila, said,"Indeed it is a proud moment for us that Prathiksha recieved the bravery award in the presence of the home minister. Prathiksha has become an inspiration for the students by showing good presence of mind and saving her classmate. We are confident that Prathiksha will scale great heights."

When contacted, Prathiksha told daijiworld, "I am really happy to receive this award. I thank Kannada Prabha and Suvarna News for selecting me for this precious award."

Incident

Four years ago, the then 9-year-old braveheart showed immense presence of mind and courage in the face of adversity, and put her own life to risk for saving a classmate. Prathiksha, while she was a fourth standard student of the government school at Naila in Narikombu in the taluk, saved her classmate named Nithesh (9) from snakebite.

Nithesh was playing in the playground of the school on February 4, 2014, when he saw what looked like a rope near the fence. As soon he lifted it, he realized that it was a snake. The snake immediately bit the ring finger of the boy, before scampering to safety.

While Nithesh's friends, who were witness to the incident, grew fearful and nervous, Nithesh was shocked by the turn of events. There was commotion in the playground, and Nithesh ran towards the school building.

Prathiksha, who came to know that Nithesh was bitten by a snake, handed him a rope. Besides identifying the spot where he was bitten by the snake, she started sucking blood from there and spitting it out on the ground. After continuing with this act for a few minutes, she led Nithesh to the headmaster’s room. Arrangement to take the boy to the hospital was made by the headmaster immediately thereafter.

In case of snakebites, more than the poison ingested into the body by the reptile, a sense of shock and fear inflict more damage to the person concerned. Prathiksha did not know what type of snake had bitten her friend. But she recounted her knowledge of first aid to drive away fear from the Nithesh's mind, besides removing poison that would have otherwise spread all over his body. A lesson on first aid is a part of text taught in the fourth standard. In the book, first aid in case of snakebite has been detailed as tightening of a tourniquet above the wound, removing blood from the spot by using a clean knife, and pacifying the patient and giving him courage and confidence, before taking him to a doctor.

Other Winners of Shourya Award:

Gopala Mogera: Bhatkal
Parasappa Yallappa : Gadag
Rajshekar Meti : Yadgiri
Renuka and Roopa : Yadgiri
Shreyas and Shashikumar : Mysore
Ramu, Mukhtiyaar and Chidambar : Shivamogga
Narasimha Moorthy : Magadi
C D Manjunath: Tumkuru
Sunitha : Kolara
H C Chandrappa : Kunigal
Vinay : Chamrajnagar

Posthumous awards:

Mahesh Kudusakar : Belagavi
Sukanya K S : Chikkaballapura

  

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