New Delhi, September 4 (Daily Kiran) : Neerja Bhanot, who sacrificed her life to save 360 passengers during the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 73, remains an inspiration to many. On September 5, 1986, just two days before her birthday, Neerja displayed extraordinary bravery against terrorists. Her actions led to her posthumous recognition with the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest peacetime bravery award, making her the youngest recipient of this honor.
Born on September 7, 1963, in Chandigarh, Neerja was the daughter of Harish Bhanot, a journalist based in Bombay (now Mumbai). She completed her early education at Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School in Chandigarh and later attended Scottish School and St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai.
Neerja married in 1985 and moved to a Gulf country with her husband. However, after facing dowry pressure, she returned to Mumbai just two months later. Shortly after, she began her career as a flight attendant with Pan Am Airlines, also completing a modeling and anti-hijacking course.
On September 5, 1986, Pan Am Flight 73 took off from Bombay to New York, with a scheduled stop in Karachi, Pakistan. As the aircraft prepared for departure, four armed terrorists from the Abu Nidal group hijacked the plane. Their aim was to harm American citizens and secure the release of Palestinian prisoners from U.S. jails. The terrorists intended to divert the flight to Cyprus. Neerja, serving as the senior purser, quickly alerted the cockpit crew, allowing the pilot and flight engineer to escape, preventing the aircraft from taking off.
With the responsibility of ensuring passenger safety on her shoulders, Neerja faced a harrowing 17-hour ordeal. As the situation escalated and the terrorists began firing, she cleverly concealed American passports to protect those passengers. When the terrorists started executing passengers and rigging explosives, Neerja managed to open the emergency exit and guide the passengers to safety.
Instead of escaping herself, she prioritized the passengers, successfully evacuating around 360 individuals. Tragically, while helping three children exit, she was shot by the terrorists. By the time Pakistani commandos stormed the aircraft, most passengers had escaped, thanks to Neerja’s courage.
Posthumously, Neerja was awarded the Ashoka Chakra for her bravery, becoming the youngest person to receive this prestigious honor. She also received the Tamgha-e-Insaniyat from Pakistan and a bravery award from the United States. Internationally recognized as the “Heroine of Hijack,” Neerja’s legacy lives on. In 2004, the Indian government issued a commemorative postage stamp in her honor, and in 2005, she received the Justice for Crime Award in the U.S. A film released in 2016 featured Neerja, with actress Sonam Kapoor portraying her remarkable story.
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