Meet India’s first Lady Air Marshal, Padma Bandopadhyay
Countless medals and shields adorn the walls of Padma Bandopadhyay’s quaint home. Two of these honours are the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) for distinguished service of an exceptional order by President of India, and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) for distinguished service.
Air Force is my life,” says Padma Bandopadhyay, India’s first Lady Air Marshal, who has recently come out with the memoir of her inspiring life — The Lady in Blue, published by Zorba Books.
But the accomplishments haven’t come easy for Bandopadhyay. “Someone told my mom ‘ladki science padegi toh jal jaayegi, shaadi nahi hoga’. Shaadi was the be all and end all of everything. Ladki padhna was not a part of life, [but] so much has changed now,” she recalls. But she was determined to make something of her life. “Class 11th was an eye opener [for everyone], as I topped the Delhi board,” shares Padma.
However, her admission to Delhi University’s Kirori Mal College came with a condition that she had to master Physics, Chemistry and Biology. “My decision to walk out of the tailoring class [which her mother enrolled her into] took me from being a good tailor, which had never been my goal, to being eligible for becoming a doctor, my long cherished dream. [At KMC] I had three major problems — language, cultural difference and science,” says Padma, who grew up in Tirupati.
Once she joined the force, she “contributed to the nation’s security as a medical professional, and finally reached the top as Air Marshal. “It was a tough decision for a young girl. My father wholeheartedly supported me... now I get scared when I’m in a civil dress (laughs). But, the minute I wear the uniform, night [or] day, anywhere, bombing ho raha hain, mujhe kuch pharak nahi padta. Jaise hi vardi pehni, waise hi singhni ban jaati hun. Meri awaz bhi badal jaati hai (My voice changes too),” shares Padma. She and her husband became the first couple in the world to be conferred with VSM for their service during the 1971 war.
She shares that her challenges were far from over when she cleared the air force [entrance exam] and joined the ranks. “Both of us reported to the Air Force Academy (AFA) at Hyderabad. The Air vice Marshal was fuming when he learnt that a lady aviation medicine [officer] had been detailed to fly the aircraft. Main bahut udti thi, but not [as] a pilot. I know what all it undergoes, but I wasn’t controlling [it]. I am [an] aviation medicine [officer] — it means to help pilots to not fall sick,” she explains.
As our conversation moves towards the first ever Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo — Avani Chaturvedi, she says, “I feel ‘thank god, they have taken this decision’. If you’re capable and qualified for the job, there should be no barrier. Driving — does it say are you a man or a woman sitting there? Yes, there are medical standards where a man can also be unfit, but we don’t say he’s unfit.”