Name: N Kandha Kumar
Age: 11
Place: Tamil Nadu

Kumar gave up his life to save his schoolmates. He was awarded the prestigious Bapu Gayadhani Award (posthumously).

His father P Nayanachalam and mother N Pappathy were in Delhi to receive the award of their brave son.

Born in a farming family in Karur district in Tamil Nadu, Kumar would spend most of his time in the fields. "He was always cheerful, he used to laugh all the time," says his father.

On July 22, 2003, he was returning home from school along with dozen other children in a van. As the van was crossing an unmanned railway crossing near Amur, the engine suddenly gave out. Seeing a speeding train approaching, the driver deserted the van.

But Kumar was undaunted. He managed to get two small children out of the vehicle. Some others escaped. Kumar again went inside the van to help the others stuck inside. He never returned. As he was coming out of the van the second time, the train hit him on the head and he died on the spot. Three other children and the conductor also died on the spot.

His mother has almost stopped talking since then. She was in Delhi to receive the award but confined herself to a room most of the time. Kumar's father is a broken man. Kumar was their only son. They have a daughter who is married.

"I am proud of my son, but I am all alone now. No award can replace him. He was my only asset. I find it difficult to console my wife," says Nayanachalam.

"We are just waiting for our death."

He wants the government to prevent such accidents. "If the government does something to improve the railway system, it will be a kind of tribute to the soul of my son. I don't want anything else," he says.

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