Gunjan Saxena is best known as one of the first female combat aviators who entered the Kargil war zone in 1999 along with her colleague Lieutenant Srividya Rajan. Although the induction of women into the battalion began in 2016, Gunjan Saxena and Srividya Rajan broke the bar by becoming the first female IAF officers to fly in a combat zone during the Kargil war. Let’s find out some more interesting facts about Gunjan Saxena.
Biography/Wiki
Gunjan Saxena is 45 years old (as on 2020). He graduated from Hansraj College, Delhi University. While seeking graduation from him, he joined the Safdarjung Flying Club in Delhi to learn the basics of flying.
Born and raised in a family with a military background, Gunjan also decided to join the military after graduation. In one of his interviews, Gunjan said that he got to see the cockpit at the age of five when she was accompanied by his cousin, who was a pilot for Indian Airlines. It was at that moment that he decided to fly. He had the opportunity to join the IAF’s first batch of female pilot trainees. He passed the SSB exam and joined the IAF as a pilot. In addition, in 1994, she had the opportunity to be selected in the IAF’s first group of female pilot trainees, which consisted of 25 women.
family and husband
Gunjan Saxena was born into 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, flying mainly Mi-17 helicopters for the Indian Air Force. The couple have a daughter, Pragya, born in 2004.
Career
In 1994 Gunjan joined the Indian Air Force along with 25 other female pilots in training. Her first posting was in Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir (Himachal Pradesh). Waiting for the right opportunity to serve and help the country, Gunjan along with her lieutenant associate Srividya Rajan, got the opportunity in 1999; when the Kargil war broke out between India and Pakistan. The two main operations of the Indian Army that led to success during the Kargil War were Operation Vijay and Operation Safed Sagar. Gunjan was associated with Operation Vijay with tasks related to medical evacuation, surveillance of Pakistani positions in the war zone, and provision of supplies.
kargil war
Indian Army during the Kargil War
Earlier in those days, women were not employed or allowed to fly in the war zone due to extreme physical and mental stress. But, when the Kargil war broke out, the Indian Army desperately needed all its pilots to do their duty to achieve victory against Pakistan. Therefore, the situations took an extreme change and the pilot women were called to fulfill their duties. Therefore, in June 1999, Gunjan docked at Kargil, representing an Indian Air Force flight officer.
Gunjan escorted his helicopter into the rugged valleys of Kargil, fighting through the skies; to rescue wounded soldiers. His tasks consisted of evacuating the wounded and conducting aerial observation. She and her partner Lieutenant Srividya Rajan even had to avoid Pakistani fires while on the mission. Gunjan airdropped crucial equipment to army units at points in the Dras and Batalik sectors. In one of her interviews, she mentioned that picking up the dead and wounded from the slopes of mountains, where flying a helicopter requires excessive skill, was her job. She often had to complete her task with Pakistani gunfire and missiles directed at her helicopter. What motivated her the most was evacuating wounded soldiers and saving lives.
Indian Army after winning the Kargil War
Awards
Gunjan Saxena received the Shaurya Veer Award for her magnificent determination and courage during the Kargil War.
Facts
- Lack of basic services in army camps was common during those days and Gunjan also faced such difficulties while stationed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur unit. She said there was a shortage of separate toilets and changing rooms. So, she and her classmates took turns being guards while the others changed to safeguard privacy. But these facilities were later restored.
Gunjan Saxena and Srividya Rajan
- While performing his duties in the Kargil war as a flying officer, Gunjan’s helicopter was fired upon by Pakistani troops and she narrowly escaped.
- Around 500 officers, soldiers and jawans of the Indian Army were killed during the Kargil War.
kargil memorial
- Gunjan is often referred to as the “Kargil Girl”.
- In 2018, a Bollywood biopic about Gunjan Saxena was announced in which Jhanvi Kapoor played the role of Gunjan Saxena.
- After seven years of service in the Indian Armed Forces, Gunjan’s tenure as a helicopter pilot ended in July 2004.
- Gunjan is currently a housewife residing at Jamnagar in Gujarat.
Categories: News
Source: dienchau2.edu.vn
