Assam girl carries the Olympic torch in Nottinghamshire

Only exceptionally talented people get such opportunities and  Pinky Karmakar was one of those. A class X student from Assam’s Dibrugarh district represented India at the Olympic Torch Relay in London.

The Class X student was accorded a rousing welcome on her arrival at Dibrugarh airport where she was felicitated by many organizations and individuals including ex-Dibrugarh MP Sarbananda Sonowal. She gets a warm welcome when she arrived at her home on Saturday after participating in the London Olympics torch relay held at Nottinghamshire on June 28. Later, she was led to her residence at Barbaruah in an open jeep through the main roads of Dibrugarh town from the airport. Hundreds of people took out a huge motorcycle rally and escorted her to her residence.

Pinky's mother works as a tea-plucker and father is a painter in a Dibrugarh tea estate. In the evenings, Pinky teaches about 50 women, including her mother, in the tea garden. She also talks to elders at village meetings on social issues, including child marriage, alcoholism and adult literacy and alcoholism under Unicef and  her dedication prompted the London 2012 Organizing Committee (LOCOG) to choose her for the torch relay.

Besides studying, the shy but spirited Pinky runs a daily sports programme in her school. She never misses 'Sport for Development' session of the Unicef for primary school kids. After classes, she speaks to parents about the importance of fitness for children's development.

Pinky Karmakar shows the face of new empowered woman who also empowers others around her.