Cyclone Nargis some food and medical supplies might become unusable, even before the Burmese junta officially accepted the international relief effort. Bangladesh, which has had experience with cyclones in the past, was one of the first countries to supply aid to Myanmar in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis. Two planes carrying aid, organised by the Bangladesh Army, were sent to Myanmar on 8 May 2008. They carried stockpiles of emergency aid and hundreds of aid workers with experience in coping with the aftermath of a cyclone. India, one of the few countries which maintains close relations with Myanmar, launched "Operation Sahayata" under
Nargis leading actors and singers of the time and held stage shows at border areas. In early 1970s, Nargis became the first patron of The Spastic Society of India and her subsequent work with the organisation brought her recognition as a social worker and later a Rajya Sabha nomination in 1980. Nargis died in 1981 of pancreatic cancer, only three days before her son Sanjay Dutt made his debut in Hindi films with the film "Rocky". In 1982, the "Nargis Dutt Memorial Cancer Foundation" was established in her memory. The award for Best Feature Film on National Integration in the Annual