कालेबुङका पत्रकार मनोज राई ‘गडफ्रे फिलिप्स ब्रेभरी अवार्ड’ले सम्मानित - - Social bravery awards for little bravehearts

डी के वाइबा, कालिमन्युज, कालेबुङ 20 मार्च। दैनन्दिनी समाचार च्यानलका पत्रकार मनोज राई गडफ्रे फिलिप्स ब्रेभरी अवार्ड 2013ले सम्मानित भएका छन। पत्रकार राईलाई बुधबार राती कोलकोताको ताज होटलमा आयोजित बिशेष कार्यक्रममा उक्त पुरस्कारले सम्मानित गरियो। 
पश्चिम बङगालका उर्जा मन्त्री मनिष गुप्तको बाहुलिबाट तिनलाई सामाजिक सेवाको निम्ति वर्ष 2012को गडफ्रे फिलिप्स ब्रेभरी अवार्डले सम्मान जनाइयो। कार्यक्रमका मुख्य अतिथि उर्जा मन्त्री गुप्तले कालेबुङका पत्रकार मनोज राईलाई गोल्ड मेडल, प्रशस्ति पत्र अनि नगद पचास हजार प्रदान गरेर तिनले भूईँचालो पिडीतहरुका निम्ति पुर्‍याएको सामाजिक सेवाको निम्ति पुरस्कार प्रदान गरे। 18 सेप्टेम्बर 2011 को दिन आएको बिनाशकारी भूईँचालोले कालेबुँङ महकुमाको मन्दिर गाउँ अनि शङ्खे गाउँलाई तहस नहस पारे पछि पत्रकार मनोज राईले पत्रकारीताको धर्मसंगै सामाजिक सेवाको कार्य गरेका थिए। 
तिनले उक्त गाउँका भूईँचालो पिडीतहरुको हृदय बिदारक दृष्य बाटो समेत चुडिएको अवस्थामा पनि पैदल हिडेर आफ्नो क्यामेरामा कैद गरी कालेबुङ प्रेस क्लबको समाचार च्यानल दैनन्दिनीमा प्रशारण गर्ने महत कार्य गरेका थिए। उक्त कार्यपछि कालेबुङ मानिसहरुले भूईँचालो पिडीतहरुलाई सहयोग गर्न अघि आए पछि पत्रकार मनोज राईले नै पिडीतहरुलाई जनताले पठाएको राहत सामग्री पुर्‍याउँने समेत कार्य गरेका थिए। उक्त कार्यको निम्ति तिनलाई कालेबुङ प्रेस क्लबले 2011मा एक्सिलेन्स इन जर्नलिज्म पुरस्कारले सम्मानित गरेका थिए भने यसवर्ष उक्त सामाजिक कार्यको योगदानलाई कदर गर्दै तिनी गडफ्रे फिलिप्स ब्रेभरी अवार्डले सम्मानित भएका छन। 
कोलकोताको ताज होटलमा आयोजित बिशेष कार्यक्रममा तिनलाई उक्त पुरस्कारले सम्मानित गरियो। पश्चिम बङगाल, उडिस्सा, आन्द्राप्रदेश अनि तामिल नाडुका मोठ 11 जना व्यक्तिहरुलाई प्रदान गरिएको उक्त अवार्ड पत्रकार मनोज राईले सामाजिक सेवाको निम्ति पुर्‍याएको योदानको निम्ति प्रदान गरिएको हो। 
दैनन्दिनी न्युज च्यानलका भिडियो ग्राफर तथा तक्निकी सम्पादक मनोज राईले कालेबुङ खण्ड 2को मन्दिर गाँउ र शंखे गाँउका 395 भुइचालो पिडीत परिवारहरुलाई सहयोग गर्ने कार्य गरेपछि आखिरमा तिनको योगदानको कदर भएको छ। गडफ्रे फिलिप्स ब्रेभरी अवार्ड 2012ले सम्मानित भएपछि पत्रकार मनोज राईले आफुलाई अत्यंतै हर्ष लागिरहेको बताएका छन। 

“भूईँचालो प्राकृतिक आपदा हो अनि यो कहिले आउँछ भन्ने कसैलाई थाह हुँदैन। त्यस समय भूईँचालोको ताण्डव देखेर म आफै अत्यन्तै भावुक बनेको थिएँ। आपदाको समयमा मैले जसरी सहयोग गर्न सक्थे त्यसरी नै सहयोग गरे। ममा कुनै पुरस्कार र अवार्ड पाउँने सपना थिएन त्यस समय उक्त सहयोगको निम्ति मलाई कालेबुङ प्रेस क्लबले सम्मानित गरेपछि अहिले यस अवार्ड पाउँदा हर्षको कुनै सिमा नै छैन” – पत्रकार मनोज राईले भने। तिनले उक्त अवार्डले सामाजिक कार्यको निम्ति आफुलाई अझ प्रोत्साहन प्राप्त हुनको साथै जिम्मेवारी बडेको पनि बताएका छन।

Avik Das, TNN | Mar 21, 2013, KOLKATA: We all know chilli powder and turmeric cause irritation to nasal passages, eyes and throat. But 10-year Prasannta Shandilya put this elementary idea to use perhaps at a time when her family needed it the most. 

With five armed robbers - who broke into her house in Jharkhand's Godda village on April 12, 2011 - thrashing her parents and plundering the house, she had a split second to think. She crawled to the kitchen, got hold of chilli powder and turmeric containers and threw them at the assailants. Before they could recover, neighbours had rushed in and a robbery bid was averted by a Class IV student. 

While Prasannta's parents are afraid that the robbers may strike back, this little girl has other plans. "Let them come. Jo hoga dekha jayega. There's no point living in fear," said Prasannta, squirming under the spotlight on the sidelines of Godfrey Phillips Bravery Award function. 

Priyanka Mondal was another braveheart who's equally nervous amid all the attention. A nurse by profession, this resident of Diamond Harbour was shot to fame by a 3 Idiots-like moment in her life. On the night of January 28, 2011, Priyanka was on her way to the hospital when she heard a pregnant woman writhing in pain on the road. There was no help at hand, but the baby had to delivered, pronto. Like 3-Idiots' Rancho, she did not have a "Virus Inverter" or an Internet connection to consult a doctor. All she had was a mobile phone as a source of light, a blade to sever the umbilical cord and a rubber band to tie the placenta. 

With limited resources, she had carried out the road-side "operation" successfully and she was there at Wednesday's event to receive the Social Bravery Award. "The mother had named the baby girl after me. That's my biggest achievement," she beamed. 

Manoj Rai, another recipient of the Social Bravery Award, appeared calm and composed amid all the paeans everyone was singing about him. During the September 18, 2011, earthquake in North Bengal, the video photographer from Kalimpong had walked seven hours to reach Mandir Gaon and filmed the plight of the homeless. "I made sure the footage is transmitted all across. Once it went viral, help poured in from all quarters and I steered the relief work seamlessly," he reminisced. 

If it was about individual grit for Prasannta, Priyanka and Manoj, a group of five young men - Shri Vadivelu, P Kalaimani, V Madan, Uday Moorthy and K Gopi - from Tamil Nadu braved the tumultuous sea during Cyclone Nilam and saved lives of 22 sailors in October last year. "We could see the ship being violently tossed by angry waves. We couldn't look the other way. We took a boat to reach them, but it malfunctioned midway. We then swam across and reached the ship and managed to save of them," said Gopi. 

Referring to the collective responsibility of the society, Godfrey Phillips Bravery Awards general secretary Harmanjit Singh said in his opening address: "The social fibre is diminishing by the day. We can't put the onus entirely on the police department or the government. The society at large should come forward and extend a helping hand to those in need." 

Barun Biswas, the crusader who stood against anti-socials and paid the price with his life, was conferred the Mind-of-Steel Award posthumously on Wednesday. His parents broke down in tears while receiving the award. Among others who were awarded on Wednesday included Madhuri Ghosh, who brought about a microfinance revolution in Bagnan; 16-year-old Suthrapu Shiva Prasad from Andhra Pradesh for saving a woman from drowning and Udasi Sahu for providing healthcare to some 5,000 poor people in Odisha's Keojhar district.