Chandigarh: Two Himachalis have got Godfrey Phillips Bravery Awards in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh zone in a glittering function, held here on March 15th evening. Mr. Narender Singh Jamwal from Mandi district have got award in Social Bravery category for his dedicated service to poor and campaign to motivate rural people to provide for their toilets, Mr. Jamwal has brought a transformation of the area through his remarkable and outstanding work as a swachhata worker’.
He started motivating the rural community and people of schedule caste category through mass movement programme in 2005 by providing low cost models of toilets. The villagers opted for them and constructed their own toilets. He tirelessly worked at village level, ward level, panchayat level, as swachtata worker and also constructed toilets of poor schedules caste families.
Due to his motivation and dedication, 45953 families have constructed their own toilets. The people are using their toilets. The rate of water born diseases has come down to almost nil. The environment has become pollution free. For his contribution, Mandi District Administration has also honoured him. Mr. Jamwal have also received a number of awards for his outstanding work in the Community & Social Service Category.
In Physical Bravery category, for his exemplary acts of courage and dedication, Mr. Hem Raj have got the award. A boatman by profession, he has saved many persons from drowning by sheer acts of courage and timely actions.
In 2004, Mr. Raj saw a man drawing water from a canal. Suddenly the man slipped and fell into the canal. Showing great presence of mind, Mr. Raj rushed and jumped into the canal to save the man. In 2007 he was working in Drazor of BBMB Lake. He saw a lady drowning. As if on instinct , he pulled his boat out and rowed as fast as he could. He reached the spot, jumped into the lake and saved her. Same year, he saved another lady who too had slipped and fallen into the lake.
For Hem Raj every life—human or animal– is important and beautiful. In August 2007 he was going to Sundernagar, when he saw a bull drowning in a canal. The crowd had gathered but sensing danger to their lives, none dared to save the animal. But Mr. Raj was different. He quickly came forward with a rope and pulled the bull out with some help from people gathered there. In another incident on that day he saved a cow from drowning.
According to Mr. Harmanjit Singh, General Secretary, Godfrey Phillips Bravery Awards, Godfrey Phillips India, the Godfrey Phillips Bravery Awards were instituted in 1990, to honor exceptional bravery exhibited by common man. Twenty years on, the movement continues to inspire people of all ages, beliefs and origins, and celebrate the spirit of bravery. To commemorate 20 years we are increasing our footprint to cover 20 states. 4 states that are being added are Jammu Kashmir, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. With our two initiatives, Godfrey Phillips Bravery Awards and Amodini, we have been working to promote the values of courage and empowerment in society, he points out. We take immense pride in having honored 1,200 brave hearts and empowered 6,600 women directly, he asserts.
Meanwhile the five zonal awards will be followed by the national awards, which will take place in Delhi in November.
