Superwoman

On this woman’s day I recollect my visit to Air force Service Selection Board, Dehradun. I was so much keen to work for Indian Air force as Pilot those days. I applied for that position in year 2003 and went to Dehradun for Selection process.

My parents came with me as they were reluctant to send me all alone from Gujarat to Dehradun for that interview. At SSB center I was amongst around 200 girls from all parts of North India who were trying their best to get thru the selection process. After reporting procedure and document check was over our commanding officer allocated all of us unique chest number which was going to be our identity till our selection procedures were over.

I got to share my room at Air force hostel with few Girls from Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. After getting settled in the room we all introduced ourselves and started conversation. I was really inspired to see so many ladies from very far off villages and small towns of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab are having awareness and keep interest to join Defense forces. Very contradictory to what situation we have in Gujarat though.

I would like to highlight in this blog my conversation which I had with one girl from Uttar Pradesh there. The name of that girl I do not recollect now but I do recollect her number it was 136. She was very confident and smart girl coming from distant village near Indo-Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh. When suddenly power went off in our hostel, we all got together and started talking to each other. The topic of discussion was power and electricity problems in India. After listening to our conversations for few minutes, this girl jumped in to discussion with this statement.

She said: “I tell you only those people who have done so much wrong deeds and sins in their past life get birth as woman in State like Uttarpradesh in current life as punishment from God.”
Her one statement shook us all. She started to share her life with all of us. She was having 5 siblings in her family and had lost her mother when she was only 12. Being an eldest girl in family her duty was to take care of her younger siblings and to do all house hold work during day time. Also she used to help her father in their farm after her college. She used to get almost no time to study because of all these activities in day time. During night she could not study well as in her village they used get electricity for hardly 1 or 2 hours a day.

In that adverse situation also she managed to complete her studies of B.Sc. with decent score enough to apply for this job at Air force. In her community dowry system was also rampant. Her family was not that much rich. Her father was not in position to pay off lacs of rupees as dowry for her marriage. She had decided not to marry as she never wanted to let her father take so much debt to payoff dowry for her marriage.

She was keen on joining Air force so that she can help her family and get her siblings educated with her earnings. She wanted to set an example in her society by getting her younger brother married without taking dowry. She seemed to be quite confident about what she had decided for her life. She told us god has given her punishment in current life by giving her all struggles but she will not lose hope and courage to fight against any odds. A True woman of substance I must say.

I could not get thru the selection procedure at air force. But I will cherish lifelong the inspiration to go on in life in spite of enormous obstacles after talking to that girl number 136—for me she was Superwoman. I even don’t know whether she made it through the test, but I am sure wherever she will be, she will be living life with rock solid confidence and zeal.

I really salute those women who have succeeded in life and set an example in society in spite of so many obstacles at each and every foot steps to hinder their growth and determination in life. I will finish the post with a quote which I got it from internet: “The average woman would rather have beauty than brains, because the average man can see better than he can think. “ ~Author Unknown