Centre announces awardees of Kabir Puraskar-2008

New Delhi, Oct 2 (UNI) The Government today announced the names for the ''Kabir Puraskar (Grade-III)'' for the year 2008 for exemplary display of physical and moral courage to save the lives and properties of members of another caste and community.

The awards went to Abdul Gani Abdullabhai Qureishi of Yakutpura, Vadodara in Gujarat and Ghulam Ahmed Bhat of Budgam of Jammu and Kashmir.

Qureishi displayed exemplary physical and moral courage as he firmly stood to rescue the vehicles of two families from the fury of mob on May 1, 2006, following the demolition of a Dargah near Champaner Darwaja, which resulted because of communal violence.

Again on May 26, same year one Kalpesh Madhusudhan Pawar of Vadodara, who had gone to Reshamwala Khancha in Yakutpura, would have been hacked to death at night, by a violent armed mob belonging to Minority community. Qureishi came to know about the plight of this hapless Hindu boy and without caring for his own life, barged into the mob to save Pawar.

In the second case, in March 1997 militants attacked village Sangranpora, Budgam in Jammu and Kashmir, in which seven Pandits were killed. Ghulam Ahmed Bhat reached the spot before the police could arrive and stood guard the whole night, saving rest of the family.

Bhat also helped the family members of all these people in completing legal formalities required for getting the compensation.

Kabir Puraskar is a National Award instituted by the government for recognising the acts of physical/moral courage displayed by a member of one community or ethnic group in saving the lives and properties of members of another caste, community or ethnic group during caste, community or ethnic violence. The award carries cash reward of Rs 50,000.

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