NAHARLAGUN, Jan 11: Good deeds never go unrewarded and Adithya Gopal, son of police inspector KVG Pillai and Gayatri Devi, has proved this common adage by taking death on his stride to save his colleague, an unparallel example expected of a student of class-XI, which won him the National Bravery Award.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would confer the award posthumously on the brave child, whose proud parents would receive it at New Delhi on January 26 next, Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) president Gita Siddhartha informed Arunachal’s ICCW crèche committee chairperson Jarjum Ete.
Adithya, a brilliant student and cricketer of Vivekanada Kendra Vidyalaya, Nirjuli, after a football match along with friends in a field along the Dikrong River went to the river for a wash on 31st October 2010. While washing himself, Gopal saw one of his friends getting washed away and swung into action. Thanks to his presence of mind, he succeeded in his mission, but at the cost of his life. As ill luck would have it, he himself was washed away by the strong current of the river to his watery grave after rescuing the drowning friend. His body was flashed out about 200 yards down the current later.
Dikrong is also known as ‘Danger’ river for its very forceful currents, particularly during the winter when the water level goes down to hardly one or two feet.
Adithya may be in his heavenly abode justifying the proverb - A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds -, as a solace for her parents, the VKV and his nears and dears.
