The Hindu : National : Twin sisters create history

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 19, 2004

National

National

Twin sisters create history

By Ravi Reddy

DOUBLE DELIGHT: Twins Namrita Kaur (left) and Suprita Kaur get a hug from their father Harbhajan Singh after they graduated as Flying Officers at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal near Hyderabad on Saturday. — Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

HYDERABAD, DEC. 18. Twenty-three-year-old twins, Namrita Kaur and Suprita Kaur, created history in the annals of the Indian Air Force on being commissioned as Flying Officers at the Air Force Academy near here on Saturday.

The smartly-turned-out twins in blue uniform were among the 126 officers, 30 of them women, commissioned to the Indian Air Force today by the Vice-Chief of Air Staff, S.K. Malik. It was a special moment for the Harbhajan Singh family from Chandigarh which witnessed their daughters being commissioned at the same time.

"It's a dream come true" is how a visibly-elated Ms. Namrita reacted after getting a warm hug from her father. "It was my childhood ambition to join the armed forces," she said, adding "the day is very special for me as my sister (Suprita) also becomes a part of the IAF with me. She inspired me to achieve something in life. Today both of us have accomplished our childhood ambition."

The twins underwent training together and were lucky to be selected as fighter controllers. It was a rare coincidence in the history of the fourth largest Air Force in the world.

It has been a long journey for Namrita and Suprita, who were brought up in Siliguri in West Bengal. The sisters completed Plus Two in Siliguri and shifted to Chandigarh where they completed their graduation.

Surmounting tragedy

While the twins and the family celebrated, there was a tale of triumph over tragedy when B.S. Vandana, was also commissioned as a flight controller.

Hailing from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, Ms. Vandana moved to New Delhi along with her husband, Ramesh, a fighter pilot in 2002. But, tragedy struck the young couple within days after they celebrated their first marriage anniversary when Ramesh was killed in an air crash.

A determined Ms. Vandana approached the selection board but was chosen for the short service commission. "I am not a pilot like my husband but I get to control the flights," she said.

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