Braveheart flight purser late Neerja Bhanot wasmconferred the 'Bharat Gaurav Award' at a function held at the House of Commons in london.
The award has been instituted by Sanksriti Yuva Sanstha, a Jaipur headquartered NGO with an international presence. Akhil and Aneesh Bhanot, brothers of Neerja, attended the ceremony in london and received the award on Saturday evening.
The chief guest on the occasion was Baroness Sandip Verma, a member of the House of lords and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development in the UK Government.
The award was conferred on Neerja for ‘distinguished services to the nation and outstanding individual achievements. She was one of the iconic personalities of India who always encouraged each and every one to bloom into the next idol of tomorrow.
She is the pride of India as well as the world,’ stated the Citation.
Neerja was the Senior Flight Purser on a Pan Am flight which was hijacked at Karachi airport by 4 heavily armed hijackers. Thanks to the quick response and actions of Neerja, the American pilots were able to escape from the aircraft. Setting aside all concern for her personal safety, Neerja identified herself to the terrorists as the crew member in-charge. In an amazing act of courage and compassion for her fellow human beings, she hid the passports of the American passengers as the hijackers wanted to execute Americans.
She also gave up her own life while shielding 3 American children from a hail of bullets of the terrorists.