Neerja Bhanot: Brave in life, Brave in death – Unit – 7 Prose

Neerja Bhanot (born on September 7, 1963 – died on September 5, 1986), was a flight attendant for Pan Am Airlines, based in Mumbai, India. She died while saving passengers from terrorists on September 5, 1986. She went on to become the youngest recipient of India’s highest civilian award for bravery, the Ashoka Chakra.

Now, read the lesson and find answers to the following questions:

1. Who were Neerja’s parents?
2. When did she join Pan Am Airlines?
3. Who escaped from the aircraft? Why?
4. How did Neerja die?

Neerja Bhanot was born on 7 September 1963 in Chandigarh, India. She was the daughter of Rama Bhanot and Harish Bhanot, a Mumbai based journalist. She was an alumna of Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh, Bombay Scottish School and St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

attendant : a person employed to provide a service to the public, ಸೇವಕ, ಸೇವಕಿ
on board : on a plane, ವಿಮಾನದೊಳಗೆ
hijack : ವಿಮಾನ ಅಪಹರಣ
recipient : a person who is awarded something, ಸ್ವೀಕರಿಸುವವರು, ವಿಜೇತ
civilian : a person not in the armed services, ನಾಗರಿಕ
alumna : a former woman student

Neerja Bhanot joined Pan Am Airlines in 1986. She was the senior flight purser on the ill-fated Pan Am Flight 73. This flight was hijacked by four heavily armed terrorists after it
landed in Karachi at 5 a.m. from Mumbai. PA 73 was en route to Frankfurt and onward to New York City. Neerja alerted the cockpit crew about the hijack. As the plane was on the tarmac, the three-member cockpit crew of pilot, co-pilot and the flight engineer were able to flee from the aircraft. Neerja, being the most senior cabin crew member on board, took charge.

purser : an officer on a plane who takes care of passengers, ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಕರ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕಾಳಜಿ ವಹಿಸುವ ವಿಮಾನದ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿ
en route : on the way, ಮಾರ್ಗದಲ್ಲಿ
cockpit : a compartment for the pilot, ವಿಮಾನ ಚಾಲಕರ ಕೊಠಡಿ (ವಿಭಾಗ)
crew : all the people working on a plane, ಸಿಬ್ಬಂದಿ, ತಂಡ
tarmac : a runway, ವಿಮಾನ ಓಡುವ ದಾರಿ
flee : run away, ಪಲಾಯನ, ಬಿಟ್ಟು ಓಡಿಹೋಗು
take charge : assume control, ನಿರ್ವಹಿಸು
back : support, ಬೆಂಬಲ ಕೊಡು, ಸಂರಕ್ಷಣೆ ಮಾಡು

cockpit : a compartment for the pilot, ವಿಮಾನ ಚಾಲಕರ ಕೊಠಡಿ (ವಿಭಾಗ)

The hijackers immediately shot dead a passenger who identified himself to the terrorists as an American. The terrorists wanted to identify the Americans. So they instructed Neerja to collect the passports of all the passengers. Neerja, and the other attendants under her charge, hid the passports of the 40 Americans on board.

After seventeen hours, the hijackers opened fire and set off explosives. Neerja opened the emergency door and helped a number of passengers to escape. She did not herself escape. She died while shielding three children from a hail of bullets. Neerja was recognised internationally as “the heroine of the hijack”. She is the youngest recipient of the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest civilian award for bravery.

Ashoka Chakra citation :
“Her loyalties to the passengers of the aircraft in distress will forever be a lasting tribute to the finest qualities of the human spirit”.

set off : move to act, put in motion, ಕಾರ್ಯ ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸು
explosive : a substance used in bombs that explodes, ಸ್ಪೋಟಕ, ಸಿಡಿಯುವ
shield (v) : protect from a danger, ರಕ್ಷಾಫಲಕ, ಅಪಾಯದಿಂದ ರಕ್ಷಿಸು
hail of bullets : a collection of bullets, ಗುಂಡಿನ ಸುರಿಮಳೆ
distress : anxiety, sorrow, pain, ಯಾತನೆ
lasting : permanent, ಶಾಶ್ವತವಾದ, ಸ್ಥರವಾದ
tribute : an act that shows gratitude, respect or admiration, ಗೌರವ, ಕೃತಜ್ಞತೆ
citation : an official document in praise of some brave act, ಉಲ್ಲೇಖ

Meet Neerja Bhanot

ಸಂವೇದ ವಿಡಿಯೋ ಪಾಠಗಳು

Samveda – 6th – English Second Language – Neerja Bhanot (Part 1 of 2)

Samveda – 6th – English Second Language – Neerja Bhanot (Part 2 of 2)

ಪೂರಕ ವಿಡಿಯೋಗಳು

Neerja Bhanot | Unit 7 | 6th standard English

Neerja Bhanot | Question and answers | 6th standard English | QnA

ಪ್ರಶ್ನೋತ್ತರಗಳು

KSEEB Solutions for Class 6 English Prose Chapter 7 Neerja Bhanot: Brave in life, Brave in Death

ಈ ಪಾಠದ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೋತ್ತರಗಳಿಗಾಗಿ ಮೇಲಿನ ಲಿಂಕ್ ಮೇಲೆ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿ.