Kolkata, December 3: Shyamli Haldar on Tuesday took over as the general manager of air traffic control (ATC) in Kolkata, becoming the first woman to occupy the post in India. Shyamli Haldar was among the first batch of women air traffic controllers recruited in 1989. Prior to 1989, only three women were selected as air traffic controllers but they had a very short stint. Kamala Harris Is Not The First Person of Colour to be Elected as US Vice President; It Was Native American Charles Curtis.

The professional career of Haldar, who recieved training at the Civil Aviation Training College in Allahabad, shows how she proved her mettle in a male-dominated profession. She was first posted in Kolkata in 1991 where she, along with Aryama Sanyal (now Indore airport director), were the only women controllers. Since then, her career continued to flourish.

In the years that followed, Haldar, a single mother, served as controller in Kolkata and Ranchi; training in-charge at Nagpur; shift in-charge in Kolkata, and air traffic services in-charge in Guwahati, eventually to become the country’s first woman radar controller. Her mantra for balancing personal and professional life is that "don't take home to work, don't take work to home".

Speaking to a newspaper on her accomplishment, Haldar said: "Since the job does not require brawn, women get a level playing field. This coupled with the inherent pressures at home that girls experience in India, remaining calm and focused in pressure situation comes naturally to women. I was mentally strong and always gave my best. Strange as it may sound, I had imagined I would be here one day."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 03, 2020 04:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).