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| Sowmini, Vengavila House, Vilakku Para, Anchal, Kollam |
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Adverse circumstances sometimes bring out the best from ordinary looking mortals. Sowmini’s act of heroism is indeed one such. She gave the slip to 2 dacoits looting women in the ladies compartment and informed to the guard of the moving train in a daring manner.
Sowmini, along with 8 other ladies were traveling by the ladies’ coach of Guruvayoor Express at night. It was heavily raining outside when she saw 2 men inside the compartment. After observing the compartment, the men revealed their true intent. At the point of knife, they started extorting gold from the hapless women. As the shrieks of women woke her up, Sowmini realized the situation.
She removed her ornaments and sneaked to the door. The guard’s room was next to their compartment. She lounged to hold the bars of the window in guard’s cabin. The guard who saw her shouted: “Get inside, you may be electrocuted.”
As she looked back into the compartment, she saw a brigand stab a woman on the face and extract ornaments from others. Again she caught hold of the window bar. This time the guard pulled her towards his cabin. Based on her SOS, the guard signaled the driver to stop the train.
The dacoits escaped after pushing down a frightened nun and another woman passenger who were standing near the door.
“For many nights afterwards, I did not get proper sleep. Many advised me to consult a doctor. But prayer removed my fear,” she says about her experience.
Sowmini was felicitated by the Rotary Club, MES Women’s Wing and the State Woman’s Commission.
Sowmini receiving citation from State Women's Commission
Courtesy: Malayala Manorama, May 10, 2003
Contributed by: Administrator
