Vinod

Her name was Neerja Bhanot. Born in Chandigarh in 1963. She grew up in Mumbai, modelled for advertisements, and in 1985 joined Pan Am as a flight attendant. She was 23 years old. Once her mother told her that if there was ever a hijack she should run and save herself. Neerja replied. Mummy, mar jayungi lekin bhagungi nahin. I would rather die than run away. On September 5 1986 she was the Senior Purser on Pan Am Flight 73 flying from Mumbai to New York via Karachi. The plane was carrying 380 passengers and 13 crew members. At 6am during the Karachi stopover four armed terrorists boarded the plane dressed as airport security. Neerja spotted them immediately and whispered the hijack code into the intercom. The three pilots escaped through an overhead hatch and fled. The plane was grounded. The terrorists could not fly it anywhere. The enraged hijackers put Neerja in charge of communicating with the airline. All other flight attendants were tied up with ropes. She was alone. For 17 hours she kept 380 people calm. She served them sandwiches and water. She spoke to them. She managed the terrorists. When the hijackers ordered her to collect all passports she sensed they were targeting Americans. She and her crew quietly hid the American passports under seats and threw the rest down a rubbish chute. 42 of the 44 Americans on board survived. After 17 hours the terrorists opened fire and threw grenades into the cabin. Neerja opened an emergency exit door. She could have been the first one out. She stepped aside and began pushing passengers through. The terrorists saw her helping three unaccompanied children escape. They caught her by her hair and shot her at point blank range. She died on the tarmac in Karachi. Two days before her 24th birthday. She was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra. The first woman and youngest person ever to receive it. India’s highest peacetime gallantry award. Pakistan awarded her the Tamgha-e-Pakistan. The United States Department of Justice gave her the Special Courage Award. Her name was Neerja Bhanot. She had every chance to save herself. She chose not to. Follow for real stories about people India must never forget.