Avani Chaturvedi, By Jyotismita Sutradhar
Whenever we open the newspaper, we come across inspirational stories of young people fulfilling their dreams of joining the Armed services. But how many times has that success story belonged to a woman? In a world where women are stereotyped and labeled as ‘bad drivers,’ a young woman dreamt of taking the steering wheel of her destiny in her hand - rising beyond these stereotypes – and thus guiding the steer of a fighter jet. This young woman named Avani Chaturvedi, adorning the newspaper on the front page, in a crisp uniform and a bright smile, could not contain her happiness as he became the first Indian woman to fly a fighter jet.
Born in the small district of Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, Avani nurtured this dream from childhood. She completed her schooling from Deolond, a small town in Madhya Pradesh. She didn’t let the size of the town limit size of her dreams. She completed her Bachelors of Technology from Banasthali University in Rajasthan. She was a bright kid and always had the yearning to do something extraordinary. She always wanted to conquer the skies and hence joined the Flying Club in her college. Along with the other two women, Avani was the first one to fly the Mig-21, and it is pertinent to mention here that MiG-21 Bison has the highest landing and take-off speed in the world - 340 km ph. Women in India are stereotyped to be rash drivers, and a woman flying one of the most difficult fighter planes with ease is surely a breakthrough and a dent in the stereotype. Chaturvedi’s elder brother, who is an officer in the Indian Army, persuaded Chaturvedi about joining the Indian Air Force. She cleared her Air Force Common Admission test and was all set to climb her ladders of success. Soon after, she started training at Hyderabad Air Force Academy and completed her training at the age of 25. It was in
October 2015 that the Indian Government decided to open the fighter stream for women. After completing one year of training in
Hyderabad, she became a fighter pilot in 2016, and after two years in 2018, she became the first pilot to fly Mig-21. In the same year, she was promoted to the position of Flight Lieutenant. This achievement has made India extremely proud and made India join the league of the United States, Israel, and Pakistan.
A girl gained so much in her career at such a young age of 27 is a manifesto of sheer hard work and passion for the dream that was once so far fetched for her. She is truly an inspiration for young girls who feel overwhelmed by the societies restrictions. Families often turn away from dreams of women to join the army or air-force because they consider it to be conventionally a field for the men. Still, Avani Chaturvedi was blessed to have parents who not only supported her decision but encouraged her to always be on top of her game. Mr. Dinkar Chaturvedi is an Executive Engineer in the Water Resource Department of Madhya Pradesh government, and her mother is a homemaker.
For every kid who dreams of becoming a pilot, Chaturvedi is a symbol of perseverance and hard work, who traversed every boundary to achieve her dream with flying colors, literally and figuratively. She not only accomplished her goal of becoming a pilot but also created history.
In an interview for The New Indian Express, Chaturvedi said, “It does not matter whether I am first or woman, what matters is that I am a fighter plane pilot.” By her saying, it truly signifies that she didn’t care what her gender was or what history she created. She just focused on her will to succeed and in her way to becoming a fighter pilot defying gender norms. She achieved various stars in her career. President Ram Nath Kovind gave her the Narishakti Award on Women’s day last year, and on receiving her award in one of her interviews, she said that “ Giving recognition not just to us but many other women achievers motivates others to SPREAD YOUR WINGS AND FLY HIGH.”
Oprah Winfrey once said that the key to realizing a dream is not to focus on success but significance, and then even the small victories and small steps will lead to greater meanings. Women like Chaturvedi have time and again showed us that the way to succeed is to hold on to your dreams and not give up. You can Fly without wings, just believe it.'
Women are leaders everywhere you look from the CEO who runs a Fortune 500 company to a housewife who raises her children and heads her home. We will continue to break down walls and defy stereotypes. - NANCY PELOSI
References:
● https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/mar/08/being-firstor-woman-doesnt-matter-being-a-fighter-pilot-does-say-iafs-first-fe male-fighter-pilots-2114079.amp
● https:/www.defenceaviationpost.com/2020/03/avani-chaturvedi-indi as-first-female-fighter-pilot
● https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-asia-india-43151117
● https://www.ndtv.com/topic/avani-chaturvedi