Watershed Moments For The Indian Woman

They scaled mountains and dove into deep seas. They put the country on the international map and fluttered the Tricolour at dizzying heights. In their own right, they brought ecstasy and pride to Indians across the world. As Femina turns 60, we bring you iconic women and moments from the last six decades that changed the landscape for future generations

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1959 Arati Saha

FIRST INDIAN WOMAN TO SWIM ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL

There’s no territory on Earth which can’t be conquered by women. Arati Saha proved this in 1959 when she became not only the first and the fastest Indian woman, but also the first Asian woman to swim across the English Channel. She received the Padma Shri in 1960 and became the first Indian sportswoman to win the fourth highest civilian honour. Born on 24 September 1940 in Bengal, Saha’s journey of standing out began in 1952, when she—as a 12-year-old—represented India in the Summer Olympics as the youngest member of the Indian contingent. Being a water baby since she was four, Saha participated in and won several recognitions at the state and national level swimming competitions. Inspired by Brojen Das—the first person from the Indian subcontinent to cross the English Channel, Saha decided to venture on the ‘Everest of Open Water Swimming’. The rest, as they say, is history.

1959

THE MILITARY GETS ITS FIRST WOMAN MEDICAL PARATROOPER

Flight Lt Dr Gita Chanda was a medical officer who was also the first Indian woman medical paratrooper. She was later appointed as an instructor for paratroopers— comprising only men, at the time. She would take them for their compulsory 20-km run, and if any of them faltered during, he would get an earful in language that was colourful, to say the least. She was notorious for pulling the candidate “by the scruff”. An old editorial mentions the writer witnessing her “kick the trainees in the you-know-what”. Her trainees consciously avoided treading a path where they would encounter her during off-duty hours. Reportedly, one of her favourite maxims was, “The more we sweat in peace, the less we bleed in war.”