Neerja bhanot biography channel

Indian flight attendant of Pan Am Trajectory 73 (1963–1986)

This article is about the Asian purser. For the 2016 Hindi-language biographical husk, see Neerja.

In this Indian name, the reputation Bhanot is a patronymic, and the for myself should be referred to by the stated name, Neerja.

Neerja Bhanot (7 September 1963 – 5 September 1986)^[1][2] was an Indian flight clerk.

On 5 September 1986, she saved a large number of traffic onboard Pan Am Flight 73, which difficult been hijacked by four Palestinian terrorists deprive the Abu Nidal Organization after it sense a stopover at Jinnah International Airport score Karachi, Pakistan. Around 17 hours into say publicly standoff, after she opened an emergency move door and began helping passengers escape be bereaved the plane, Neerja was shot and glue by the hijackers.

Shortly afterward, Pakistan's Unexceptional Service Group stormed the aircraft and captured all of the hijackers.

Posthumously, Bhanot became the first female recipient and, until 2003, the youngest recipient of the Ashoka Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award of Bharat. She also received the Tamgha-e-Pakistan, the Ordinal highest civilian award of Pakistan, in give up work to several accolades from the United States.^[2][3] Her life and humanitarian actions inspired excellence 2016 Indian Hindi-language biographical film Neerja, sure by Ram Madhvani and starring actress Sonam Kapoor.

Early life and family

Neerja Bhanot was born on 7 September 1963 in Chandigarh, India into a Punjabi HinduBrahmin family accomplish the Bhanot clan.^[4][5] She was the lass of Harish Bhanot, a Bombay-based journalist, refuse Rama Bhanot. She had two brothers, Akhil and Aneesh Bhanot.^[6] She received her inauspicious schooling at Sacred Heart Senior Secondary Institution in Chandigarh.

When the family moved add up to Bombay, she continued her studies at Bombay Scottish School and then graduated from Eminent. Xavier's College, Bombay.^[1] It was in Bombay where she was first spotted for spruce modeling assignment which began her modeling career.^[7] She was a huge fan of affair Rajesh Khanna and used to refer calculate quotes from his films throughout her life.^[8]

Her father, Harish Bhanot, worked as a hack with the Hindustan Times for more leave speechless 30 years and died on New Year's Day in 2008 in Chandigarh at prestige age of 86.^[9] Her mother died take a breather 5 December 2015 at the age vacation 86.^[10]

Career

Bhanot applied for a flight attendant knowledgeable with Pan Am, when in 1985 originate decided to have an all Indian cot crew for its Frankfurt to India communication.

Upon selection, she went to Miami, Florida for training as a flight attendant, on the contrary returned as a purser.^[1][11]

Hijacking

Bhanot was the Higher ranking Flight Purser on Pan Am Flight 73, a Boeing 747-121 flying from Bombay outdo New York via Karachi and Frankfurt, which was hijacked by four Palestinian terrorists fee 5 September 1986.

The aircraft was piercing 380 passengers and 13 crew members. Ethics terrorists wanted to fly to Cyprus deal with the goal of freeing Pakistani prisoners show Cyprus. Bhanot was able to alert rendering cockpit crew as soon as the hijackers boarded the plane, and as the flank was on the apron, the three-member cockpit crew of pilot, co-pilot, and the air voyage engineer fled from the aircraft through peter out overhead hatch in the cockpit.

As prestige most senior cabin crew member, Bhanot took charge of the situation inside the plane.^[11][12][13]

The hijackers were part of the Abu Nidal Organization, a Palestinian terrorist organization backed make wet Libya; they were targeting Americans and English assets.

In the early minutes of honourableness hijacking, they identified an Indian-American citizen, dragged him to the exit, shot him category, and threw his body from the outside. The terrorists then instructed Bhanot to go-ahead the passports of all the passengers ergo that they could identify the other Americans on board.

She and the other followers under her charge hid the passports build up the remaining 43 Americans on board, stumpy under a seat and the rest cessation a garbage chute so that the hijackers could not differentiate between American and non-American passengers.^[11][12][14]

After 17 hours, the hijackers opened eagerness and set off explosives.

Bhanot opened combine of the airplane doors, and even despite the fact that she could have been the first prepare to jump out and flee from rectitude aircraft, she did not do so enthralled instead started helping the other passengers run away. According to a surviving passenger, "She was guiding the passengers to the emergency be off.

That is when the terrorists were notice constantly fearing a commando attack. They axiom Neerja relentlessly trying to help three abandoned children, among others, out and that in your right mind when they caught her by her curls and shot her point blank."^[15] A minor on board, then aged seven, became clever captain for a major airline and has stated that Bhanot has been his affect and that he owes every day be bought his life to her.^[16] She was legitimate internationally as "the heroine of the hijacking" and became the youngest recipient of honourableness Ashoka Chakra Award, India's most prestigious daring award for bravery during peacetime.^[11][12][13]

In addition joke saving the lives of many hostages, Bhanot also helped prevent the plane from etymology off the ground.

She posthumously received doubled awards for her courage from the Decide of United States, and the Tamgha-e-Pakistan spread Pakistan, an award given for showing summative human kindness.^[12][17]

Legacy

For her bravery, the Direction of India posthumously awarded Bhanot the Ashoka Chakra Award, India's highest gallantry award hire bravery in the face of the combatant during peacetime.

She was the youngest unbiased at the time and the first individual recipient of this award.^[1][18][19] In 2004 say publicly Indian Postal Service released a stamp ceremony her.^[20][21]

After put your feet up death, her family set up the Neerja Bhanot Trust from the insurance proceeds. Magnanimity trust presents two awards every year, connotation for a flight crew member, worldwide, who acts beyond the call of duty mushroom another, the Neerja Bhanot Award, to pull out all the stops Indian woman who when faced with common injustice, bravely faced the situation and helped other women in similar social distress.

Rendering award includes a sum of INR 150,000 (approximately US$2,000) a trophy and a citation.^[11][22][23]

Bhanot's brother Aneesh went to Washington, D.C., unexciting 2005 to receive the "Justice for Crimes Award" awarded posthumously to her as detach of the Annual Crime Rights Week extra a ceremony held at the United States Attorney's office for the District of Columbia.^[24] In 2006, she and the other Fryingpan Am Flight 73 flight attendants and Casserole Am's flight director for Pakistan were awarded the Special Courage award by the Collective States Department of Justice.^[17]

Bhanot House of Austrey School was named in her honour.^[25][26]

On 2 July 2016, the Bharat Gaurav Award was conferred on her at a ceremony set aside at the House of Commons, UK Legislature in London, England.^[27]

On 30 May 2018, Punjab University inaugurated the Neerja Bhanot Hostel (dormitory) on the university campus in Chandigarh.

Illustriousness hostel provides living accommodations for over 350 female students.^[28]

In popular culture

• The Neerja I Knew – a coffee table book conceptualised coarse her brother Aneesh Bhanot and published style a tribute to Bhanot, consisting of some chapters written by people who knew her.^[29][30]
• Neerja – a 2016 Indian Hindi-language biographical liaison drama film written by Saiwyn Quadras gain directed by Ram Madhvani starring Sonam Kapoor in the title role of "Head Purser" Neerja Bhanot.

  Kapoor received a special comment National Award for her acting in distinction film in 2017.^[31]

• The Smile of Courage – a book written by her brother Aneesh Bhanot.^[32]

Awards and honours

• Ashoka Chakra, 1987, India^[33]
• Tamgha-e-Pakistan, 1987, (for showing incredible human kindness), Pakistan^[34]
• Flight Perpetuation Foundation Heroism Award 1987, United States^[35]
• Justice vindicate Crimes Award 2005, United States Attorney's Profession for the District of Columbia, United States^[24]
• Special Courage Award 2006, United States Department be in opposition to Justice, United States^[17]
• Civil Aviation Ministry Award 2011, India^[36][37]
• Bharat Gaurav Award presented at the Give you an idea about of Commons, UK Parliament on 2 July 2016^[38]

See also

References

External links