Drawn to a Flame

Harshini Kanhekar, India's first female firefighter, tells her story of breaking barriers and leading the way for other women to enter a male-dominated industry

- Jinit Parmar

These days, Harshini Kanhekar enjoys her slow mornings in Nagpur. Though travelling between Agartala and Nagpur for work, Kanhekar finds this journey not long. “I still remember the day I got my uniform,” Kanhekar, who is India's first female firefighter, says with a smile.

Born and brought up in Maharashtra's Nagpur, Kanhekar says that she never thought of becoming a firefighter. In an interview with Outlook, Kanhekar highlights the challenges and victories during her career of 20 years as a firefighter.

What inspired you to pursue a career in firefighting, and what challenges did you face as a woman entering a male- dominated field?

It all started during my National Cadet Corps (NCC) days. I realised that I wanted to wear a uniform and serve the nation. This feeling came after I read an interview of Shivani Kulkarni, who was the first Indian Air Force pilot from the Vidarbha region. Her story inspired me. At that time, I had only thought of joining either the Air Force, the Army or the Navy. I studied physics, chemistry and mathematics in college as those were the subjects required to become a pilot.

There are two entrance exams to join the Indian Air Force. Unfortunately, I didn't pass, which was really disappointing. It had always been my dream, and I cried a lot because I thought I would never get to wear that blue uniform. But after some time, I moved on. I thought, if not blue, why not khaki? So, I shifted my focus to the Army and began preparing.