Sindhutai Sapkal, mother to over 1,400 orphans from Maharashtra, was on Saturday conferred with the 25th Neerja Bhanot Award at a function in Ahmedabad.
The award is given away every year by the Neerja Bhanot Pan Am Trust in memory of Neerja Bhanot, a flight attendent, who immortalised herself by saving lives of hundreds on board a hijacked Pan Am plane.
The award, which includes a trophy, citation and a cheque of Rs one lakh, was given away by Padmashree Reema Nanavati. Sindhutai said that she would use the money to work for the children facing malnutrition in Maharashtra.
Actor Amitabh Bachchan was to give away the award. However, he could not attend the function due to some personal reasons. His short video-recorded message was played out on the occasion.
Family members of Neerja, well-wishers from Chandigarh and survivors from the hijacked flight were present.
One of the organisers, Dr. Darshna Thakker, said that the family of Neerja was requested to organise the programme in Ahmedabad as 13 survivors of the plane hijack were from the city. The award was initiated by Dharmendra Shah, one of the survivors. Shah passed away later following a massive cardiac arrest.
The audience in the packed J. B. Auditorium of Ahmedabad Management Association was moved when Sindhutai narrated her story of how she thought of committing suicide after being thrown away by her husband and then, upon realisation, started living for orphans.
She praised Neerja's bravery and said that it seemed a coincidence that while Neerja laid down life to save people, she learned to live for those who were on the verge of dying.
She also recalled an incident in which, she gave a piece of roti and a little water to a beggar, who was yelling that he was thirsty and about to die. “When I touched him, I was shocked. He was having high grade fever, I gave him the roti and water. His life was saved,” she said.
Sindhutai, who has won as many as 750 awards, said that Neerja Bhanot Award was the biggest in her life.
She said there was a “kick in doing social work”. “This is a kick that does not go away,” she added.