Bivek with his parents at their house in Gangtok. Picture by Prabin Khaling

Gangtok, Dec. 13: A 12-year-old boy, who had grabbed a girl moments before she was to crash on ground after a fall from a two-storeyed building, has been chosen for the national bravery award.

Bivek Sharma, a Class VIII student of Prashanti Vidya Mandir, will receive the award from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi in January. He will also take part in the Republic Day parade in New Delhi along with other award recipients.

The boy’s family received a letter from the Indian Council for Child Welfare on December 9 stating that he had been selected for the award.

Bivek had saved the seven-year-old autistic girl on June 15 when she lost balance and fell from the window of the two-storeyed building at Development Area here.

Bivek was going to a shop when he spotted Sai Priya hanging precariously from the window almost 17 feet above the ground.

“Someone shouted that the girl was about to fall. But she could not understand the danger she was in and could not follow the people on the road below who kept asking her to move away from the window. Suddenly, the girl lost her grip and fell. My son who was passing by reacted quickly and grabbed her before she fell on the road,” said Bivek’s father Bhakti Prasad Sharma.

A block development officer from Pakyong who was passing by also saw the incident, he said.

While Sai Priya lost consciousness after the fall, Bivek suffered minor injuries and bruises in his knees and neck.

The boy’s brave act was written about in many local newspapers following which the East district authorities and the Sikkim State Council for Child Welfare submitted his name for the National Bravery Award to the state government.

The state government forwarded his name to the Indian Council for Child Welfare.

“We had forgotten about the incident. But when the letter arrived I was almost sure that my son had been selected for the award. I was over the moon to read the contents of the letter,” said Bhakti, who works in the administrative section of Sikkim High Court.

The child welfare council has asked the family to send the body measurements of the boy for stitching a suit for the award ceremony and the Republic Day parade.

Bivek and his parents will have to reach New Delhi by January 17.

However, the date on which the award will be presented has not been mentioned in the letter. The council will give the date in the next letter.

“I am happy that I could make the name of Sikkim heard at the national level,” said the shy and quiet Bivek.

Recalling that day’s event Bhakti said: “I thought it was an ordinary incident because my son merely told us that he had saved Sai Priya, the daughter of our neighbour. Later, he showed us the bruises and scratches in his neck, body and knees. It was then that I went to the spot to verify and found what my son had actually done.”

The girl did not suffer any serious injuries.

“We are proud of Bivek. He has given a new life to someone at a very young age,” said mother Bhumika.