Mumbai: The Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice

By Rons Bantwal
Bellevision Media Network

Mumbai, 23 Nov 2016: Emotions ran high at the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice 2016, as heroes Combating Terrorism was honored for their contribution to the cause. Hosted on Sunday, November 20, the event was graced by the august presence of dignitaries including Hamid Karzai, former President of Afghanistan as the chief guest; guests of honor included Nana Akuffo Addo – Presidential Candidate of Ghana, Dr Farooq Abdullah – former Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, Eran Wickeramaratne - minister of Sri Lanka, Abdul Rahman Bin Mohammed Al Owais - health minister of UAE, Dr Ravi Zacharias – international motivational speaker, retired Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain and bollywood celebrity Sonam Kapoor.

 

Instituted in the year 2005, the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice has acknowledged the tireless efforts of individuals and enterprises across the world towards promoting peace, harmony and social justice.

 

Opening the evening, Hamid Karzai - former President of Afghanistan said, ‘It gives me tremendous pleasure to be here at this conference organized by Harmony Foundation and the Sisters of Charity. Mother Teresa is a mother to us all by the virtue of her service to humanity, selflessness, humbleness and the love she showed even to the poorest. I’m honored to be a part of the award that bears her name, just like her virtues.’

 

 

Speaking at the occasion, Dr Abraham Mathai, president Harmony Foundation said, ‘Over years, our endeavor has been to inspire humanity through the exemplary acts and sacrifices of those among us. And this year’s awardees give me the hope that our mission will be kept alive. With every passing year, we see touching stories of bravery and compassion, and we all pray that the valiant efforts of our heroes to spread the message of peace do not go in vain. Our heroes of this year including 20-year old Pakistani boy Faraaz Hossain reaffirms our faith that bravery and compassion have no age or religion. We sincerely believe that stories such as his will encourage a lot more of us to open our minds.’

 

Awardees of the evening included:
 
Faraaz Ayaz Hossain
 
20-year old Faraaz was caught in a terrorist attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, Bangladesh. In spite of being allowed by the terrorists to walk away, he chose to stay back with his friends and lost his life in the process.
 
Syria Civil Defense (The White Helmets)
 
This group of 3,000 local volunteers is a Syrian search-and-rescue organization operating in rebel-controlled Syria comprises of tailors, engineers, students, carpenters and so on. They are now dedicated to saving lives when bombs rain in on neighborhoods, very often at the risk of their own lives.
 
 
Maninderjeet Singh Bitta
 
Having risen from an ordinary Seva Dal volunteer to Indian Youth Congress president, Maninderjeet has put up a spirited fight against terrorism by spreading awareness about its menace among the youth. Having earned the epithet of Zinde Shahid (living martyr), his voluntary organization All India Anti-Terrorist Front, has rekindled the fire of patriotism among the youth.
 
 
Selene Biffi
 
Evacuated from Afghanistan during an attack that took the lives of her UN colleagues, Selene returned to Kabul to use the power of education to infuse fresh hope into the lives of millions of impacted children and youth. Subsequently she set up Plain Ink – an NGO that educates and trains young people in neglected conflict zones to act as peace builders in their communities.
 
 
Neerja Bhanot
 
This 22-year old senior flight purser laid down her own life while saving the lives of three children and 400 other passengers on board the ill-fated PanAm flight that was hijacked by terrorists at the Karachi airport.
 
Karambir Singh Kang
 
The general manager of Taj Mahal Palace & Hotel, Karambir stood firm with his team members rescuing guests and staff from the premises during the 26/11 terrorist attack, in spite of the great personal tragedy of losing his wife and two sons in the same attack.
 
Dr Zeenat Shaukat Ali
 
Through her organization Wisdom Foundation, Dr Zeenat has been enshrining the principles of non-violence and peace. The organization has been mobilizing priests of different faiths to join the war against the monster of terrorism by providing a platform where they can exchange views regularly, to foster harmony and cohesion to neutralize extremism.
 
Nana Akuffo-Addo
 
A well-respected national leader from Ghana, Nana was involved in the successful peace efforts in the neighboring countries of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Guinea Bissau. He has displayed selfless qualities during the Arab Spring when he could have grabbed power throwing the entire region into turmoil.
 
Rukhsana Kausar
 
A mother of two daughters and Special Police Officer in Jammu & Kashmir now, Rukhsana’s was the first case of terrorists being felled by a 20-year old lady in the valley in 2009. Not only she axe to death a LeT terrorist who barged into their home, but also wounded another while her brother and she moved their family to safety.
 
26/11 Martyrs
 
The Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice honors the martyrs who laid down their lives when Mumbai was under siege on November 26, 2008.
 
1)    Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Special Action Group of the National Security Guards (NSG)
2)    Hemant Karkare, the Joint Commissioner of Police, Chief of Mumbai Anti- Terrorist Squad
3)    Ashok Kamte, Additional Commissioner of Police
4)    Vijay Salaskar, Senior Police Inspector
5)    ASI Thukaram Omble
6)    PSI Bapurao Sahebrao Dhurgude     
7)    PSI Prakash Pandurang More
8)    ASI Balasaheb Bhosale
9)    Police Constable Yogesh Shivaji Patil
10)  Police Constable Arun Raghunath Chite          
11)  Police Constable Ambadas Ramchandra Pawar
12)  Police Constable Jaywant Hanumant Patil
13)  Police Constable Vijay Madhukar Khandekar
 
Harmony Foundation also acknowledge the living heroes of the Mumbai Police.
 
1)    Sadanand Date, Additional Director General of Police
2)    Rajvardhan Sinha, Special IG of Police
3)    Arun Jadhav, Head Constable
 
HE Abdulla Z Al Nahyan, minister of foreign affairs and international co-operation of UAE –Nayhan is being awarded for his role in being an inspiration to the youth against radicalization. Receiving the award on his behalf was Abdul Rahman Bin Mohammed AL Owais, health minister of UAE.
                                                                                                         
Nana Akuffo Addo – Presidential Candidate of Ghana, said, ‘I am highly honored to be nominated to receive the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice. For the world to recognize the efforts of a man from a small West African country towards the attainment of peace and security is deeply heartwarming.’
 
 
Dr Farooq Abdullah – former Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, said, ‘I would like to thank the Harmony Foundation for inviting me to the Mother Teresa Memorial International Awards. I strongly believe that India is a country for people from every race and religion and that in unity lies our diversity. When we try to destroy the diversity is when the nation will destroy itself.’
 
 
Sonam Kapoor –bollywood celebrity said, ‘I am honored to be here and to receive the Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice on behalf of the very brave, courageous and selfless Neerja Bhanot. Its been an absolute prestige and blessing to portray her and I truly believe each one of us must imbibe the values that she stood for and personified.’
 
 
Sr M Prema, Superior General, Missionaries of Charity said, ‘We congratulate all the awardees. May we all strive to live god-centered lives so that we can contribute in bringing peace in our families, city, country and the world?’
 
 
The Award ceremony was accompanied by a Conference on Combating Terrorism which drew views from all the top leaders in attendance.