The Surrendra Paul Memorial Award for courage was awarded to  Arkajita Sen, currently studying in class VI, as one of our Hostel children.  She has exhibited an indomitable spirit in the face of challenges that stormed her life at such a young age.

Arkajita Sen is a child we admire for her courage, for not giving up or breaking down, in spite of having recently lost both her parents within a year of each other’s demise.

She is the only child of her parents, born on 4^th July 2012. They were a well-to-do happy family with her father, Late Shri Panna Lal Sen, working as an LIC Officer and her mother, Late, Smt. Swapna Mullick Sen, working as a high school teacher of Commerce, teaching Accountancy and Taxation. When Arkajita was only 9 years old, in January 2022 and the world was beginning to recover from the Covid19 situation, her father suddenly had a paralytic attack on 3^rd January’22 and was immediately rushed to a nearly hospital in Hoogly, where they were refused entry as there were no beds. In that critical condition, he was rushed from one hospital to another and was finally admitted in the National Institute of Neurology on 4^th Jan, but sadly passed away on 6^th January’2022. She was informed about his sad demise only during the funeral which the little girl attended with her mother.

Life was difficult for her and her mother after that as paternal relatives had turned against them and refused to help in any way. Just when they were beginning to lead a stable life after a year had gone by, one fateful afternoon in October’23 her mother suddenly collapsed on the terrace of their house. Arkajita was alone at home, and immediately called her maternal uncle who made quick arrangements to rush her to a Govt.  Hospital in Howrah. But by then, her mother had passed away due to a major heart attack.

Life would never be the same for her ever again! Having lost both her parents, the little girl was left at the mercy of her relatives. Her maternal uncle, Shri Pitamber Mullick and his benign wife then took her in their custody along with their two children. She is grateful to her uncle and aunt and calls them her guardian angels. She says, without them she would not have survived as her paternal uncles wanted to take away all her property. She seems matured beyond her years and is headstrong.

She is a hardworking and meritorious student who did not let this crisis deter her even though it was the most unexpected tragedy to befall her in such a young age. As a hostel student, she is well taken care of by the warden and all school staff. We know that the void of her parents can never be fulfilled but we can make her life less stressful and give her the motivation to carry on undeterred like a brave-heart in spite of incurring such an irretrievable loss at such an early and crucial stage of her life.

This award of courage goes a long way in motivating her to brace life and keep facing the challenges.