Maryam Siddiqui winner of Gita Champion League returns Rs 11 lakh award to U .P Govt

Girl returns Rs 11L reward to UP govt

Lucknow: TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Drawing inspiration from Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai for pursuing the cause of education for all, a 12-year-old Muslim girl Maryam Siddiqui who was on Saturday given Rs 11 lakh by UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for winning the Gita Champions League has returned the award.She wants the state gov ernment to use the money for the “betterment of children in need“. Maryam had won the Gita Champions League contest organised by International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) in January in which over 3,000 students had participated. Akhilesh felicitated her on Saturday at an official function in Lucknow, where he gave her the cash award and a plaque.

In a grand gesture unusual for a 12-year-old, Maryam also contributed two cheques of Rs 11,000 each to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and said she would like to see the funds being used for educating orphaned and needy children in the state.

Calling herself an ambassador of peace, Maryam told TOI she is now on a mission to promote the cause of education for the poor.“Education is the only route to change their destiny ,“ she said. “I’m grateful to the UP government for conferring this honour on me. I, however, have the means to lead a reasonable life because the Almighty has been kind to my parents. But there are many children who are not as lucky as me. So, I have decided to return the cash award to the state government so that it can be used for the betterment of children in need,“ she said.

Maryam’s father Asif Siddiqui confirmed that they had submitted an official letter to the Uttar Pradesh government requesting them to use her cash award for educating children, instead.

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