It is rightly said that women hold exemplary courage and power. Every now and then, we come across women who show grit in the face of loss, who fight despite adversity, and amaze all with their strength. We don’t need Superman, Wonder woman, or any other superhero to inspire us; there are men and women around us who show the extraordinary in the ordinary. Swati Mahadik, a newly commissioned Lieutenant in the Indian Army, reinforced this thought in our minds this year. Here’s how-
If you could see the storm within her, you wouldn’t believe the peace on her face. 38 year old Swati stands proudly today in her olive green uniform. She is ready for her journey and her life; but she isn’t just another lady officer. She is also the widow of Colonel Santosh Mahadik who was martyred as he battled terrorists in Kashmir in 2015. She is also a mother to two young children. She is also a lady who has grown with age in strength and courage.
Belonging to a small village by the name of Pogarwadi in Satara, Maharasthra, Swati was not an independent or ambitious young girl. She came from a family which expected her to be back home before 7 pm. When she grew up, she got married to Santosh Mahadik, who was serving in the Indian Army. They were a happy couple who went on to have two children- Kartikee and Swaraj. Her husband gave her wings to fly. He was the reason she felt liberated, for he would urge her to work and gain independence. He was very supportive as a partner. She recalls:
“He was everything to me and my children. Since his death, this training and my children have filled my days. But his void can’t be filled.”
Colonel Santosh Mahadik was a brave and loyal officer. He was in love with his duty, his uniform, and his life. Fighting for the Indian Army meant living his dream. Colonel Santosh belonged to Maharasthra too, and studied in Sainik School. An all- rounder, he was a wonderful football player, a skilled horse rider, and also pursued boxing professionally. He was a well- trained officer of 21 Para Special Forces, and had been awarded a Sena Medal for his contribution during Operation Rhino. He was clearly an exceptional officer.
In November 2015, Colonel Mahadik was commanding 41 Rashtriya Rifles in Kupwara, Kashmir. He was leading the search operation along the LOC to flush out the terrorists suspected to be members of Lashkar-e-Taiba. On 17th November, 2015, his search party had an encounter with the terrorists. Colonel Mahadik’s team chased them deep into the dense forests of Haji Naka. Here, they were met with unexpected firing from the hidden militants. During this encounter Colonel Mahadik was badly wounded and the gallant officer lost his life. For his sacrifice, he was awarded the Shaurya Chakra posthumously.
Needless to say, his death was a huge shock to his family. Their grief knew no bounds. Swati Mahadik was inconsolable, but she also knew that she had to take care of her children- her 12 year old daughter and 7 year old son. She decided that she was not going to lose any more time in crying over her brave husband’s death, and decided to do something for her family. She knew she wanted to give her children the same life that their father would have given to them- and so she chose to join the Indian Army as an officer herself. She says-
“This was my husband’s dream (the Indian Army). I had other dreams- like being with my children- but I took up his dream.”
Swati was resolute in her decision, but her struggle had just begun. She was 37, which implied that she was much above the upper age limit for induction of lady officers in the Indian Army. She made an appeal to the Indian Army and the Ministry of Defence. Seeing the sensitivity of the case and her courage, they relaxed the norms specifically for her so that she could realize her dream. She had to then shift her children to a boarding school as she went through the process of entrance examination, SSB, and medical tests. Finally when she was selected for the next batch, she underwent a grueling 11 month training at OTA, Chennai. She was inducted into the Army Ordnance Corps. Her first posting is Pune.
When she was done with the passing out parade, Lieutenant Swati Mahadik broke down. It must have been so tough for her to go through all of this, when the wounds in her psyche were so fresh. Her family members and well- wishers consoled her and reminded her of her strength.
Lieutenant Swati wishes to follow her husband’s footsteps and do him proud. She feels closer to him now, for she is donning the same olive green armour that her husband used to. Our heart goes out to this ferocious and beautiful soul. More power to you, Lieutenant Swati!
