Namrita's contradictory statements in Outlook | Gunjan Saxena

So after the release of Gunjan Saxena, Retd Wing Commander Namrita Chandi wrote on Outlook about how the film portrayed IAF in a negative light and there was no incidents in real life like it was shown in the film and the men in uniform back then were true gentlemen, etc. Quite weird that the same Retd. Namrita Chandi wrote about her experience as one of the first few female helicopter pilots breaking into male domain, in the usiofindia website in 2013, seven years before the release of the film about how she had to survive in a male dominated space.

Excerpt from the same article (The story of a Lady Helicopter Pilot, USI Journal, 2013)

Hurray we had our wings on us…. a long dream had finally come true and with the little experience and expertise that we had gained, we were ready to face the alien world of complete male domain. The challenge now was to break into male bastions and assert that I can be as good, if not better, at my job as a Helicopter Pilot, and was knowingly intruding into a domain that was traditionally perceived as being only for men. The first day of my first posting will remain fresh in my mind forever. The unit situated somewhere in the Western Sector was all set to receive its first “Lady Pilot”. I quickly realised that the requirement for me now was to fit in almost as “one of the boys”, in the unit without making others feel awkward and uncomfortable. But the challenges were manifold – from sharing the male toilets (those days there were no lady toilets) to proving your worth each and every time professionally, and to fit in with a male dominated culture, where bad language and sexist jokes were a norm (things have now changed drastically). Well I proudly say that I did very well for myself. I was quick to realise that the attitude, perceptions, professional competence and preparations can make a huge difference.

Link of the full article: https://usiofindia.org/publication/usi-journal/the-story-of-a-helicopter-pilot/

* Wing Commander Namrita Chandi (Retd) was commissioned into the Indian Air Force on 29 June 1996 and retired after 14 years of service. Presently, she is serving as the General Manager, Business Development and Flying operations with Indocopters Private limited.

Journal of the United Service Institution of India, Vol. CXLII, No. 591, January-March 2013.

And here's the video of the same done five months back where she says the same thing on camera.

@1:41 mins

https://youtu.be/wjSQmHlv2_M

Again, I dont think she has a problem with how they've portrayed the lack of changing rooms or toilets. Neither is she negating the struggle she or Gunjan faced.

But the movie made it seem like she was bullied. Fitting into a male culture is one thing, but having your briefing cut out, and the arm wrestling was straight up bullying. They probably had to hear sexist jokes and put up with misogyny along those lines, but im sure they didnt have their flying hours and sorties cancelled. And she said that she fit in quickly, which also means, they accepted her quickly.

Originally posted by: aish.

Again, I dont think she has a problem with how they've portrayed the lack of changing rooms or toilets. Neither is she negating the struggle she or Gunjan faced.

But the movie made it seem like she was bullied. Fitting into a male culture is one thing, but having your briefing cut out, and the arm wrestling was straight up bullying. They probably had to hear sexist jokes and put up with misogyny along those lines, but im sure they didnt have their flying hours and sorties cancelled. And she said that she fit in quickly, which also means, they accepted her quickly.

The thing is, experience depends from person to person. Maybe for Namrita, sharing toilets or bad language/sexist jokes weren't that big of a problem like it was for Gunjan. Even if you see in the film, they don't cancel the sorties because they are biased, they cancel because the co-pilots don't feel confident and safe to do them with a woman. Maybe it's fictionalized, maybe not but it still holds true to the point that it was the competence of Gunjan, or so to say a 'lady' helicopter pilot that was in question, something both Gunjan and Namrita repeatedly stresses on- that they had to prove their competence every single day to show they are at par with the men. So I don't see how it's demeaning to the IAF because again it is the superior IAF commander who takes her into his wings and decides to do sorties with her, so how is that negative?

Starting from lack of facilities, the bad language, sexist jokes to having to prove their worth everyday just for being a woman- I think everything leads to creation of an inhospitable and toxic environment that the film tried to show. There's a scene towards the end where they ask Gunjan to abort mission and fly back to base because it's risky and they fear her safety and what if she is taken as prisoner of war- all of this only because she is a woman despite the woman in question ready to go to war- this is the reality. This is exactly why we still don't have women in infantry, artilleries etc. They just showed the reality.

And regarding the bold sentence, I stopped taking the outlook article seriously as soon as she started negating the she wasn't the first to go to Kargil but Srividya Rajan was when in reality it is there in the archives that both Gunjan and Srividya were the first women helicopter pilots to go to war. Sorry but to me that article looked neither as criticism of Dharma or praise for IAF but a very subtle but sneaky rant of Gunjan Saxena, the person.

Originally posted by: insideroutsider

And here's the video of the same done five months back where she says the same thing on camera.

@1:41 mins

https://youtu.be/wjSQmHlv2_M

Wow! She doesn't look that old.😲

Why is she lying though?😕

@insideroutsider- Sexist jokes sadly still exist in every work environment. But solely speaking about her sorties being cancelled, I refuse to believe that happened based on what Gunjan herself has said.

See its one thing having to prove your worth. Its completely another not even being given an opportunity to prove your worth. While i believe that the first happened, I dont think that the second did. The movie made it seem like she wasn't even given a fair chance. Which isn't right.

I still believe that unforutnely women have it MUCH harder and have to prove everything. The men in the IAF may have underestimated her, but bullied her and made her arm wrestle and tell her shes weak?? I doubt it.

Originally posted by: insideroutsider

The thing is, experience depends from person to person. Maybe for Namrita, sharing toilets or bad language/sexist jokes weren't that big of a problem like it was for Gunjan. Even if you see in the film, they don't cancel the sorties because they are biased, they cancel because the co-pilots don't feel confident and safe to do them with a woman. Maybe it's fictionalized, maybe not but it still holds true to the point that it was the competence of Gunjan, or so to say a 'lady' helicopter pilot that was in question, something both Gunjan and Namrita repeatedly stresses on- that they had to prove their competence every single day to show they are at par with the men. So I don't see how it's demeaning to the IAF because again it is the superior IAF commander who takes her into his wings and decides to do sorties with her, so how is that negative?

Starting from lack of facilities, the bad language, sexist jokes to having to prove their worth everyday just for being a woman- I think everything leads to creation of an inhospitable and toxic environment that the film tried to show. There's a scene towards the end where they ask Gunjan to abort mission and fly back to base because it's risky and they fear her safety and what if she is taken as prisoner of war- all of this only because she is a woman despite the woman in question ready to go to war- this is the reality. This is exactly why we still don't have women in infantry, artilleries etc. They just showed the reality.

And regarding the bold sentence, I stopped taking the outlook article seriously as soon as she started negating the she wasn't the first to go to Kargil but Srividya Rajan was when in reality it is there in the archives that both Gunjan and Srividya were the first women helicopter pilots to go to war. Sorry but to me that article looked neither as criticism of Dharma or praise for IAF but a very subtle but sneaky rant of Gunjan Saxena, the person.

if it was a fiction then they shouldnt market it as a real story.

Aditya Raj Kaul

@AdityaRajKaul

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Dear Makers Of 'Gunjan Saxena', You Cannot Peddle Lies In The Name Of Creative Freedom - Wing Commander (Retd.) Namrita Chandi

Dear Makers Of 'Gunjan Saxena', You Cannot Peddle Lies In The Name Of Creative Freedom

I have myself served as a helicopter pilot and I have never faced the kind of abuse and maltreatment as was portrayed in the movie. In fact, men in uniform are true gentlemen and professionals,...

outlookindia.com

https://www.outlookindia.com/website/amp/opinion-dear-makers-of-gunjan-saxena-you-cannot-peddle-lies-in-the-name-of-creative-freedom/358726?__twitter_impression=true&s=09

"Yes, initially there were teething troubles like no changing rooms or exclusive ladies toilets; yet the men made space for us. Sometimes, my brother officers stood guard outside the curtain while I changed. Never in my entire career span of 15 years have I been disrespected or mistreated."

The Flight Commanders, the people who wield the burden in all operational Squadrons/ Units (disseminate flying tasks, schedule sorties and crew rosters etc), are men of great professional competence. Not in the least like that man depicted in the film. Every pilot in the Air Force has to prove himself. Man or woman.

Srividya Rajan was the first lady pilot who flew to Kargil – not Gunjan. Though, I am certain that Srividya has no complaints about this credit being taken away from her. There is a scene in which the Army Major asks the character of Gunjan Saxena: “tum join karogi". Even an imbecile knows that once you are a commissioned officer, you are committed to the constitution of India. Please do not make a civilian even imagine that it is even possible to disobey orders.

Officers are officers. Whether with long hair or short. Never are they paraded for losing in a childish strength game. Never are the briefings interrupted in that rude and ugly manner. Quite naturally, Gunjan’s erstwhile flight commander is extremely peeved at being portrayed so negatively and so far from the truth. I can vouch for it.

The entire narrative is skewed and as far from the truth as chalk and cheese. If this film attempted at infusing patriotism in the country's women, and I was a young woman, I would run as far away from the Indian Air Force as possible! The film shows misogyny at its worst!

My lady officer colleagues and I are shocked and very saddened by what has been represented and conveyed through this movie. The social media, sometimes, convolutes the facts in a manner that dilute the importance of gallantry awards. The news that Gunjan Saxena got a Shaurya Chakra is absolutely untrue. As I said earlier, these are facts that even she will not refute. I know her to be a good human being. But it could be anyone else and our collective reaction would be the same. It is demeaning the sanctity and bravery of genuine Shaurya Chakra winners.

I did not come from a services family, but from a farmer’s family. I had no idea of what I must expect from the force, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the warm and willing welcome. These are the ethos of the Indian Air Force or indeed any uniformed service in India.

Of course, I do not deny that some weak minded and professionally incompetent face hardships. But that applies to men as well as women. It was not reserved for Gunjan.

#shame on #DharmaProductions and #GunjanSaxena also for stealing someone else's credit