Ten-month-old Neetika emerged as a symbol of resilience and heartbreak when she became the sole survivor of a devastating cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district. On the night of June 30–July 1, her father, mother, and grandmother were swept away in the flash floods that hit Talwara village. Alone and crying inside her home, she was rescued by a kind neighbour—her survival nothing short of a miracle.
According to The Tribune, moved by the tragedy, the Himachal Pradesh government declared Neetika a “Child of the State” under the Chief Minister Sukh-Aashray Yojana. This status entitles her to full government care until she turns 27. She will receive ₹4,000 per month, with ₹8,000 already deposited for July and August. Her education, healthcare, shelter, and eventual career training will all be state-sponsored.
Family First: Raised by Blood, Not Strangers
After the completion of mourning rituals, her extended family unanimously chose her paternal aunt, Kirna Devi, to raise her. The decision came despite multiple adoption requests pouring in from across India and even abroad. Kirna Devi gently but firmly responded, “Neetika is our blood,” reaffirming the family’s resolve to give her a childhood rooted in love, memory, and belonging.
Neetika will now grow up in Shikauri village, surrounded by the familiarity of her ancestral home and the strength of a family determined to heal together.
Village Solidarity and State Support
The tragedy, part of a series of cloudbursts and landslides across Mandi, Kullu, and Karsog, displaced many. But Neetika’s story stirred something deeper—a village that became her cradle, and a state that vowed to be her guardian.
Bank accounts have been opened in her name in Himachal Cooperative Bank and Punjab National Bank. These accounts will accumulate funds for her education, accessible when she turns 18. Schools have offered free admission, and there are even considerations for her to be enrolled in a Sainik School after Class VI.
Not Alone in Loss: A Policy of Compassion
Neetika’s story, though unique in its emotional weight, is not isolated. Other children orphaned in the Himachal floods are also being supported under schemes like the Indira Gandhi Sukh Shiksha Yojana, which provides monthly educational support through joint accounts with surviving mothers or guardians.
The government has promised comprehensive, long-term care for every orphaned child: from basic needs to life aspirations. It’s a rare example of a policy meeting tragedy with compassion.
Photo Source: The Tribune
