She fought mobile snatchers a year ago, now studies on a gifted laptop

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 8

A year ago, Kusum, Jalandhar’s braveheart girl, showed exemplary courage when she fought bike borne snatchers, defending her mobile phone that her labourer father gave her for online studies. She successfully caught hold of one of the snatchers, but got injured in the scuffle and was admitted to a hospital.

How the incident got everyone’s attention

• While Kusum’s act of valour had reached far and wide, Mangat Ram Sharma (58), a businessman was the first person who came to rescue her.
• Sharma was completely unknown to Kusum until the incident happened. He said: Itni chotti ladki ne jo himmat dikhaayi, kabhi nahee dekha (Have never seen such act of bravery as shown by this little girl).”
• It was him, who uploaded the CCTV footage of the attack on the girl on social media and the incident caught everyone's attention. In the footage, a man wearing white kurta was seen running to help Kusum, he was Mangat Ram Sharma
• Kusum said that she felt so proud that because of her, girls get courage to fight for themselves

The story inspired and moved many. The report published in The Tribune was widely circulated on the social media and shared on Twitter by celebrities such as Varun Grover and Richa Chadha, and cartoonist Satish among others, and that is how everyone got to know about the actual reason why Kusum couldn’t let the snatchers take away her phone.

A year later, she has a laptop and a new mobile phone and studies without any problem. “Life has completely changed for me. People were so generous to contribute and I received immense support from everyone,” said Kusum, who studies in Class IX.

She said her unit tests will start from August 10 and she has been studying on her laptop.

“I have become famous and people call me brave girl,” the 15 year old shared. She also said that her friends also get motivated from her. “Recently, a friend of mine came to meet me. She had a smart phone in her hand. Her mother asked her to be brave like Kusum and not let go of it and become sad if any untoward incident happens,” Kusum shared a story.

Kusum said that she felt so proud that because of her, girls get courage to fight for themselves.