'Women are flying planes. This is just a train'

Preeti Kumari, 34, who became the first motorwoman of Western Railway on Tuesday, is unable to understand the reason behind the media brouhaha surrounding her.

"Women are flying planes. This is just a train," she says in a matter of fact manner.

Though Kumari downplays her achievement, a posse of media personnel had gathered at Churchgate station in south Mumbai on Tuesday to capture her driving her first train -- a 2.29 pm local train to suburban Borivali.

Mumbai's suburban railway already boasts of two motorwomen in Central Railway. But unlike them, Preeti Kumari, a diploma holder in electronics, was directly recruited for the job.

"I have always been inspired by (astronaut) Kalpana Chawla and other women who had made a name for themselves. I had the desire to do something different and special. It was a spontaneous reaction on my part to respond to the advertisement for the post of a motorman," said Preeti.

Preeti was selected from among 440 candidates who appeared for the written exams. In the next round, of the 68 candidates who appeared for the stringent medical and psychological tests, only 57 candidates were selected for training.

Preeti underwent six months of training at the WR's workshop at Mahalaxmi and six months on line training, when she learnt how to actually drive a train, under the guidance of a senior motorman.

In July year this year, while she was learning how to drive a train, she failed to stop the locomotive at the earmarked position at Malad railway station in suburban Mumbai.

"As confusion reigned on the platform, I found to my relief that waiting commuters were more sympathetic when they realised that a woman was driving the train," she recalled.

Preeti is married to Devkant Darbey, a sergeant in the Indian Air Force and the couple has a six-year-old-daughter. She admits that she misses her family dearly.

This momentous personal achievement also holds a special significance for Preeti, as she hails from Bhagpur in Bihar, where education for girls is not considered a priority.

Her mother Mrudula works with the Shaksharta Mission, an initiative to increase literacy among the masses, while her father Shaligram runs an intermediate college at Amarpur to help girls continue their education.

"Things are changing slowly. Now parents want their children to be educated, irrespective of their gender," she points out.

Image: Preeti Kumari | Photograph: Sahil Salvi