In August 1994, the telephone rings at a 22-year-old girl’s house, and as soon as she receives the phone, a voice is heard saying ‘You have to report to the Naval Academy’. It was too late to hear this and the girl jumps with joy. The name of that promising young girl was Sandhya Suri (Indian Navy Officer Sandhya Suri).
Sandhya was at that time preparing for the IPS exam, along with pursuing her Masters in English. There were 14 women candidates in the third batch of the Naval Academy, in which now Sandhya has also made her place. But for this he made many sacrifices.
The Better India Spoke to Retired Naval Officer Sandhya Suri, who was posted on the Indian Navy’s warship.
Q: What inspired you to join the Navy?
Sandhya Suri It might sound a bit strange, but I wanted to join the force since women didn’t go to the armed forces. My father has always been an inspiration to me. I was preparing for my IPS exam when I got the call. Was studying Masters in English in college. She was also playing basketball for the state and was also teaching English at Army School in Kaluchak, Jammu.
When I got a call from Navy, I happily left the path of IPS. I first applied in the Army, then the Navy and then the Air Force. Earlier the call came to me from Air Force. When I was on my way to the Air Force SSB, it was only then that I got a call to report to the Naval Academy.
Q: How did you feel when you got selected?
Evening (Indian Navy Officer Sandhya Suri – To be honest, I felt quite relieved leaving the preparation for the IPS exam. I was super excited. I remember, the chairman of the Air Force SSB board asked me to join the Air Force. Although I am glad that I joined the Navy. I never regretted it. My father was happy and my mother was scared. I am the only girl in my family who has served in the armed forces.
Q: How was your first day at work?
Sandhya (Indian Navy Officer Sandhya Suri) – I was commissioned on 18 August 1994 and have served for seven years. We had to take training before our first posting. I first trained at the Naval Academy in Goa. After that CLABS at Kochi, Hamla School of Management and Logistics in Mumbai, NBCD Basic Training at Lonavala and then a ship attachment on de-commissioned aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. All this went on for 11 months till I was posted in Eastern Command.
Q: What challenges did you face during that time?
Evening (Indian Navy Officer Sandhya Suri – The most important thing is to be fit and mentally strong. Since I already used to play basketball for J&K, I was used to working out for about 4-5 hours every day and it helped me a lot. I didn’t have much trouble working out. The biggest challenge for me was that I was an ‘officer’ and not a ‘woman officer’. As we were told.
For most women, it is really a big challenge to forget that they are a woman and forcing men to think the same was an even bigger challenge. Being in the armed forces is an act of balance, patience and a lot of courage. You are as strong as your biggest weakness. My biggest challenge in the Navy was to fight for the fact that I was not considered a woman, but a soldier in uniform. I think this is the challenge of every woman in services.
Q: You are one of the lucky few women who have had the opportunity to serve on a warship. What was the experience like?
Evening (Indian Navy Officer Sandhya Suri – I am one of the lucky few who had the privilege of being aboard a battleship. I was posted on a logistic warship. That particular posting was my best posting in the Navy. Though it was a challenging task, I knew my responsibilities and was accountable for it.
It is not easy for the Navy to deploy a woman on a warship. It has been a male domain for a very long time. I don’t even know if people were ready for it when I was posted. It was a challenge to prove myself over and over again professionally. It was as easy as objecting to being called both ‘officer and woman’ at the same place.
You know, I’m in uniform, that’s enough. I can be male or female. I have the same responsibilities. Almost all men thought women had privileges, such as having a private toilet, being able to lock cabin doors, etc. But I didn’t ask for all this. The rules and provisions were then made by the authorities. I know what I signed up for. I didn’t ask for privileges. I just had to do what I came for.
“Even today the country needs me, then I will go back”
You have to understand one thing – at least in India, having women on board means sacrificing precious space for them. In foreign navies, no such place has been created. You join the army and do your job. I am very happy that now women are doing so many adventure activities like sailing and mountaineering all over the world and I am really proud of them. However there must be more. I don’t even believe that women should be kept out of ships. Yes, all that is needed is impartiality and not taking away the privileges of women.
An officer has to have at least one year’s sea service for promotion. I think this is where they can start. Laws need to be objective, not thematically gender-focused. If women join the military and want the privilege, they should not join it. It is the job of serving the tricolor representing the nation. I don’t think there should be a bargaining place for anything here. Maybe my thoughts are old fashioned. But, it is not a job or just a career. Here the privilege for you is to serve the country. I am lucky and it is an honor for me. If the country needs me today even at the age of 65, then I will sign up.
(Of course, I’m not as fit as I used to be, but you must have got the point.)
Q: Have you ever doubted yourself as a woman?
Evening (Indian Navy Officer Sandhya Suri – Not even a moment. Not now, never.
Q: Share some of your memories as a Navy officer.
Evening (Indian Navy Officer Sandhya Suri – Posting on the battleship, as I said earlier, was the best time for me. Whatever I learned and was trained for, I made full use of it. I painted the ship, I cooked for the crew, faced the dangers with the crew and we all witnessed a wonderful journey together. I didn’t do any of this for a reward or a prize. I did it because I was part of a team that was at sea.
I probably kept myself more balanced in emergencies than others. My last posting in Mumbai was also very good. There my unit was assigned the task of managing the entire seating, security and catering plan for the International Fleet Review in February 2001. My daughter was then seven months old. We worked very hard for that task and it was quite satisfying to see it being completed successfully.
Q: Was the decision to leave the Navy difficult? What thoughts came to your mind when you decided to leave the job?
Evening (Indian Navy Officer Sandhya Suri – To be honest, I wanted to become a trainer and certified diver. For this I also requested for transfer to SSB board or Naval Intel. That time, when I was asked if I wanted to extend. When my requests were rejected, I didn’t see any point in stopping. The whole time I didn’t want to cut down on pushing files all the time. I wanted to do something bigger and bigger than this. At the same time, it was decided not to continue posting of women in the Navy.
Q: Did you feel disappointed by the lack of opportunities for women in the Navy at that time?
Evening- I think yes, but not to a great extent. It has to be looked at rationally and also in terms of gender itself as a nation. As much as one wants to ignore it, reality cannot be ignored.
Q: How special is Navy Day for you today?
Evening (Indian Navy Officer Sandhya Suri – Navy Day is still very special for me. As the years go by, its importance in my life will only increase. It’s been fifteen years since the last time he took off his uniform and never wore it again. But a soldier is always a soldier.
Q: What would you say about the current opportunities available to women aspiring to join the Navy?
Evening (Indian Navy Officer Sandhya Suri – I think it is time we stop looking at the opportunities available to women. Now is the time to invite eligible young citizens to join the services, but gender should not be mentioned.
Q: What is your advice to women aspiring to join the Indian Navy?
Evening (Indian Navy Officer Sandhya Suri – If you are looking at this as a career or job, please do not get involved and dilute our initial efforts to serve the nation. Join for glory if you must join, join for glory if you can live up to your oath, and join if there is more to you than just the thought of glamour in uniform. Join only if you can put your country first, your ship (read the unit) and your team before you. Otherwise, don’t tarnish it.
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Original article: Amina Sheikh
Editing – G N Jha
Also read: Raj Kumari Nikhanj: How this mother brought up 7 children alone and gave ‘Kapil Dev’ to the country
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