It was an emotional moment for Rama Bhanot, the Managing Trustee of the Neerja Bhanot Pan Am Trust as she unveiled the book, Chandigarh and its Leading Personalities, at the Chandigarh Press Club. The 190-page book, authored by her son, Aneesh Bhanot, an advertising professional, is dedicated to her daughter, who was the senior Flight Purser on Pan Am flight 73 that was hijacked in September 1986 by four armed men at Karachi airport. “The guiding principles behind this book are Neerja’s acts of selflessness, bravery — giving up her own life while saving others during the Pan Am World Airways plane hijack in September 1986,” says Aneesh, as he flips through pages of the book carrying his sister’s photos. Aneesh’s sister was recognised internationally as the ‘heroine of the hijack’ and is still the youngest recipient of the Ashoka Chakra, India’s highest civilian award for bravery.

In his tribute, he profiles over 75 leading personalities of the tricity in Volume 1 and as Rama Bhanot puts it, “it had to be done, for it was a call from the heart”. “I felt there are so many people who have contributed to the growth of Chandigarh and made it the wonderful and unique city it is today. This book recognises their effort, zeal and worth,” smiles Aneesh, who is also an editor and publisher of Sector News , a fortnightly tabloid published from Chandigarh. Narrowing down on people wasn’t an easy process so a three-member panel assisted him. The book profiles achievers from a cross-section of society, including political leaders, social activists, artists, architects, doctors, administrators, entrepreneurs, sportspersons and industrialists.