New Delhi:

Union Minister Smriti Irani delivered a powerful keynote address on women empowerment today at NDTV’s ‘Indian Of The Year’ award ceremony. The award was given to the women of India.

She recalled her own experience, when she was 17 years old, how she was turned away by a security guard from the gate of the NDTV office in south Delhi’s East of Kailash, only to return 31 years later and present the Indian of the Year Award from the NDTV platform.

“Gratitude NDTV… life comes full circle. Who knew, 31 years ago, somebody who shooed away by the security guard would come here and present the Indian of the Year Award. And that, young ladies, is the story of every Indian woman. Know that when you are written off, that is when life really begins. Congratulations, well done, am proud of you,” said Ms Irani, the Women and Child Development, and Minority Affairs Minister.

“To the girl who is watching all these women celebrating their excellence, my message is this: today I saw an actor stand before you taking a prize for being tenacious, and for being true to his craft. Today you saw a sporting legend not only give away awards, but you also saw on stage a woman who was enabled, scientifically, administratively to study the Sun, namely the Aditya L1 Mission. Today, you saw a woman who drives a cab, runs an NGO; you saw a legendary female banker; a legendary female hand craftsperson who is also a saree connoisseur. You saw women who have served in the Indian armed forces,” said the MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi. She had defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in this former stronghold of the Gandhis in the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

“And this is a message to the girl who is listening to all of us this evening: say thank you to the naysayers. I do. Because 31 years ago to this date, I walked up to a one-storey office in a place called East of Kailash in Delhi. At the age of 17, my only dream was to be a part of a channel called NDTV. This scruffy little man who met me at the gate, not only told me to take a hike, but also told me vagabonds like me don’t belong amongst the pristine,” Ms Irani said.

“So to all the naysayers, young ladies, say a big thank you. Today, Forrest Gump would say – if anybody has seen the movie – life is like a box of chocolates. You never knows what blows you to kingdom come,” she said, tweaking the famous dialogue from the 1994 Hollywood film in which the character Forrest Gump had said “you never know what you’re gonna get”.

“As we celebrated social media influencers like Kaushal, Prajakta Koli, we had an Air Force officer stand proudly in uniform. That the Supreme Commander of the armed forces is a lady is a matter of great joy and pride. But the fact that we still have much of a distance to travel was also exhibited. This young officer in uniform was asked, how do men look at her, compliment her because she wears a uniform,” Ms Irani said.

“And that, young girls, is a message for you back home. Know that what you wear will not determine what you achieve. Know the naysayers will not determine what path you take. Know your power and determine your destiny. The women on this stage today, the Indians on this stage today, have only one message for the young girl at home – that when they think of flying to the Moon, they think of the Indian woman; when they think of the armed forces, they also think of the Indian woman; when they look at the President, they think of a woman, and when they look at the Prime Minister, they look at the champion of all things that women need to achieve their dreams, ambitions, and goals,” the Union Minister said.

“So if you are a champion of the ordinary Indian woman, you have my gratitude. For in your championship, in your support, you are shaping equity and equality,” she added.

NDTV’s ‘Indian Of The Year’ awards honour individuals who have displayed foresight, embraced uniqueness, and redefined the essence of ‘being a true Indian’. The aim of the initiative is to honour exceptional Indians from various fields.

New Delhi:

A group of men who rescued 41 workers trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand were honoured with NDTV’s India’s Heroes Award.

The workers inside the tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Silkyara had been trapped for 17 days, and some of the world’s best experts and equipment had failed to make any progress – until these men came with basic tools and started digging, using an outlawed technique known as “rat-hole mining”. They are the Silkyara Saviours.

The men honoured with the award are Vakeel Hasan, Munna Qureshi, Nasheen Md, Rasheed Md Eshaad, Feroz, Naseerudin, and Kalimullah.

“It was God’s blessing and the wishes of 144 crore people of India that made this rescue mission a success,” the Uttarakhand rescue heroes said. “What can a human do alone? It was the love and encouragement that gave us the strength,” they said.

On whether at any point during the rescue operation they felt they wouldn’t be able to make it, considering the huge challenge they faced, Munna Qureshi said his friend Vakeel Hasan called him to say 41 people are trapped under a tunnel and we need to do something fast.

“I didn’t know about it. We work hard for a living, take care of family, and get no time to see the news. Then bhaiyan said 41 people need to be rescued. Big, big machines have failed. I asked him to send us a video of the condition, which he did,” Mr Qureshi said.

“I saw the video and told him, yes, we can rescue them. Our whole team got ready. When we reached the site later, we figured it would take 24 to 36 hours. But these days people believe more in diploma than in experience,” he added.

An American auger machine had failed to cut through the debris blocking the escape path for the 41 workers. Mr Qureshi and his team then used the rat-hole mining technique, which involves one man drilling, another collecting the rubble, and the third placing it on a trolley to be pulled out. They were not rat-hole miners, but knew the technique, the Uttarakhand government’s nodal officer Neeraj Khairwal had said.

The NDTV Indian of the Year Awards honour people who have displayed foresight, embraced uniqueness, and redefined the essence of being a true Indian.