No country for our heroes.
In a shocking tale of apathy and neglect, a teenager who was awarded the President’s Gallantry award for bravery, is now living on the streets in the nation’s capital.
On September 13, 2008, his life turned around when he saw two terrorists plant bombs inside a trashcan on Delhi’s Barakhamba Road.
The former balloon seller then turned eyewitness identifying the Indian Mujahideen terrorists, who had killed over 30 people and injured over 100 in the five synchronised blasts.
He had provided vital clues about the suspects and also helped the police to draw two sketches of the terrorists.
In 2009, at the Republic Day parade, he received the President’s medal for bravery and was taken in by an NGO. But they had to let him go after he turned 18.
Ironically, even though he lives on the streets, he is accompanied by a personal security officer as he was a key witness in the terror case.
The braveheart who is currently trying to complete his education says that studying and living on the roads is not easy for him. “I am no longer habituated to sleeping on the streets. But that is not the only problem. I have to appear for three exams in October to pass class 12 but there is no way I can study under the present conditions,” he says.
Image used for representational purposes only.
