The lives of Alice and
Ashamma not only inspire but also underline the significance of service and
sacrifice — the two qualities which best describe these women. Starting from
scratch, both Alice and Ashamma have been braving one odd after another to get
justice for exploited women. They have confronted fear with a vengeance and have
gone ahead to accomplish their chosen missions. They know courage is resistance
to fear, not the absence of it, writes Aditi
Tandon.
"The courage of life is
often a less dramatic spectacle than the courage of the final moment; but it is
no less than a magnificent mixture of triumph and tragedy. A person does what he
or she must — in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and
dangers and pressures. And that is the basis of all human morality...."
TO
uphold this very human morality, the Neerja Bhanot award winners for the year
2000 — Alice Garg from Jaipur and Ashamma from Andhra Pradesh — have been
engaged in a constant battle against injustice. The lives of Alice and Ashamma
not only inspire but also underline the significance of service and sacrifice
— the two qualities which describe these women best.
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