Mother Teresa Award for Neerja Bhanot

The Harmony Foundation conferred the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice 2016 on Chandigarh-- born Neerja Bhanot for her 'supreme act of remarkable courage and valour at the cost of her own life during the hijacking of Pan Am 73.' The Award is the only one endorsed by Sr. Prema, the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity, Kolkata, and was instituted in the memory of Mother Teresa in the year 2005.
The Mother Teresa Award was conferred at a function held at the JW Marriott Hotel, Mumbai recently and was accepted by Sonam Kapoor, Akhil Bhanot and Aneesh Bhanot from Dr. Farooq Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Also present on the occasion were Dr.Abraham Mathai, President, Harmony Foundation, and Sister Rubella.
The citation read, "Ms. Neerja's name has been forever etched in the annals of bravery. She displayed sterling qualities of compassion and concern for humanity in the face of great danger and this will inspire the younger generation to emulate her principles and values. She truly made our country proud with her brave and humane act which foiled a hijack and by laying down her life protecting three children from the bullets fired by the terrorists."

Sindhutai Sapkal

Sindhutai Sapkal At another ceremony in Ahmedabad in December 2016, the 25th Neerja Bhanot Award was conferred on Pune-based Sindhutai Sapkal by Padam Shri Reema Nanavaty, the force behind SEWA.
Talking about women power superstar of Indian cinema Amitabh Bachchan stated that he had always believed that 50% of the strength of a country was its Nari Shakti. He strongly advocated that we all must always respect women and honour them. He congratulated Sindhutai Sapkal on her being conferred the Neerja Bhanot Award.

-V.P.Prabhakar