Gunjan Saxena is known as one of the first female combat pilots who entered the Kargil war zone in 1999 along with her partner Lieutenant Srividya Rajan. Although the introduction of women in the battalion began in 2016, Gunjan Saxena and Srividya Rajan broke the norm and became the first women IAF officers to fly in a combat zone during the Kargil war. Let us know some more interesting facts about Gunjan Saxena.
Biography/Wiki
Gunjan Saxena is 45 years old (as of 2020). He graduated from Hansraj College, Delhi University. During her graduation, she joined the Safdarjung Flying Club in Delhi to learn the basics of flying.
Born and brought up in a family with a military background, Gunjan also decided to join the armed forces after her graduation. In one of her interviews, Gunjan had told that she got a chance to see the cockpit at the age of five, when she was accompanied by her cousin who was a pilot of Indian Airlines. This was the time when he decided to fly. She got the opportunity to join the first female batch of IAF trainee pilots. She passed the SSB exam and joined the Indian Air Force as a pilot. Furthermore, in 1994 she got the opportunity to be selected in the first batch of female IAF trainee pilots, which included 25 women.
family and husband
Gunjan Saxena was born in a family of army officers. His father, Anup Saxena, was in the Indian Army. His brother, Anshuman Saxena, is also in the Indian Army. Gunjan is married to an IAF officer who is also a pilot and mostly flies Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force. The couple have a daughter, Pragya, born in 2004.
livelihood
In 1994, Gunjan joined the Indian Air Force along with 25 other female trainee pilots. His first posting was in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir (Himachal Pradesh). Gunjan, who was waiting for the right opportunity to serve and help the country, got her chance in 1999 along with her colleague Lieutenant Srividya Rajan; When the Kargil war broke out between India and Pakistan. The two major operations of the Indian Army that led to victory during the Kargil War were Operation Vijay and Operation Safed Sagar. Gunjan was associated with Operation Vijay on tasks involving medical evacuation, surveillance of Pakistani positions in the war zone and provision of supplies.
kargil war
Indian Army during Kargil War
Earlier in those days, women were not employed in the war zone or allowed to fly because of the extreme physical and mental stress. But, when the Kargil war broke out, the Indian Army desperately needed all its pilots to perform the duties to achieve victory against Pakistan. Hence, the conditions changed drastically and women pilots were called upon to perform their duties. So, in June 1999, Gunjan flew to Kargil representing the flying officers of the Indian Air Force.
Gunjan pilots her helicopter through the sky into the steep valleys of Kargil; To save injured soldiers. Their tasks included casualty evacuation and aerial observation. He and his partner Lieutenant Srividya Rajan also had to fend off Pakistani firing during the mission. Gunjan airdropped vital equipment to military units in Dras and Batalik sectors. In one of his interviews, he explained that picking up the dead and injured from mountain sides, where flying a helicopter required extreme skill, was his job. He often had to accomplish his task with Pakistani gunfire and missiles aimed towards his helicopter. Evacuating injured soldiers and saving lives motivated him the most.
Indian Army after victory in Kargil war
award
Gunjan Saxena received the Shaurya Veer Award for her brilliant determination and courage during the Kargil War.
fact
- Lack of basic facilities was common in military camps in those days and Gunjan too had to face such difficulties when she was posted in the Udhampur unit of Jammu and Kashmir. He said there is a lack of separate toilets and changing rooms. So, she and her female classmates took turns standing guard while others took turns to protect the privacy. But later these facilities were restored.
Gunjan Saxena and Srividya Rajan
- While performing her duties as a flight officer in the Kargil war, Gunjan’s helicopter was fired upon by Pakistani troops, in which she narrowly escaped injury.
- Around 500 Indian Army officers, soldiers and soldiers were killed during the Kargil war.
Kargil Memorial
- Gunjan is often referred to as the “Kargil Girl”.
- A Bollywood biopic on Gunjan Saxena was announced in 2018 with Janhvi Kapoor playing the role of Gunjan Saxena.
- After her seven years of service in the Indian Army, Gunjan’s tenure as a chopper pilot ended in July 2004.
- Currently, Gunjan is a housewife living in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn