“I passed out in 1970, you see”! …….Yes, of course, I saw……. I, who have started feeling so ancient lately, experienced an instant feeling of self-rebuke inside my heart, at the sight of this energetically youngish lady in front of me….. though retired from work, yet having it so much in her!
Earlier, I called her up to inform about readjustment of our proposed meeting schedule, due to some exigencies.
-I have to go on tour.
She sounded extremely pleasant and understanding.
“That’s nice, busy office works. Where are you off to?”
Encouraged, I explain her the objective and the destination.
“Really? That’s the place, where I grew up, still the one which I hold close to my heart!”
She sounded so jubilant and excited that I could not help but say cheerfully,
-come with me, we will do our proposed meeting there.
While she went on talking about the city and her young days spent there, I completely understood, the eager emotion. We all carry such city of joy in our heart, all through our lives, where we would like to go back, but will not be able to, or chose not to, our La La land….something like a prized chinaware in our possession, delicately precious……afraid of touching, as we might break it.
She grew up in the picturesque steel city of Rourkela, with father working for the steel plant. The plush bungalow with gardens on three sides, and the Champa tree, where her pet chameleon resided. Nobody believed her then, but to this day, she is very firm on belief, that her favorite lifted its eyelids to greet her, when she ran to meet it, in an afternoon ritual, after coming back from school every day!
After finishing her school, following her father’s footsteps, Reeta chose to study engineering, in his alma mater, Benares Hindu University. Those days, in late sixties, not many women studied engineering, leave that alone, very few women went ahead to aim for a professional career for themselves, in technological fields!
No wonder, after completing her graduation, as she sent applications for jobs, most of the places refused plainly, citing the reason being their inability to select a lady for a technical job!
Later in life, when Ms. Bandyopadhyay rose to become the first woman General Manager of the prestigious Energy utility, she could recall her earlier days of struggle with humor.
“I told my father that instead of sending regret letter, they should send me back my ten rupees postal order”.
Back then, for most of the applications, she had to attach a postal order of ten rupees, which was quite a sum of money in 1970!.
Her first job was with M/s M N Dastur of Calcutta. She was a nonresident Bengali and could hardly speak the language. Dastur’s staff had a mixed reaction for the Bengali girl, who spoke Hindi and English more fluently.
She was the only lady engineer in the office, and this was so unusual then, that some even thought she was the new secretary to Mr. Dastur! Naturally, engineering department in Dastur lacked amenities like ladies toilet and she had to go to eighth floor, where lady receptionist was there, for basics.
But the management took great care of her safety and security. Whenever she had to visit a work site, it was arranged either in a team or at least with some company, never would they send her alone anywhere. She learnt a lot in her first job and still carries fond remembrances of the workplace.
“It was extremely enriching experience and the love of the work left me so full of energy, that I managed to study for MBA, in my after work hours.”
During her tenure at Dastur, she also completed MBA degree from St. Xavier’s, Kolkata, alongside her work, such was her motivation and determination, to excel in her field of work, in every possible manner!
Yet, after five years, she decided to leave the place and not without reasons. Although she was praised for her capabilities and was encouraged a lot, still there were discrimination apparent.
While, her male colleagues at an equal level with her, were sent for a posting abroad, she was not even considered, in spite of being one of the top performers. This triggered her opting out of the job and venturing into a new, unknown city, Delhi, in a new company, Engineers India Limited.
This was the time when girls of her age usually settled in marriage and family, in our country. Here, the lady was actually busy making career moves, and it worried the parents, especially her mother, who wanted to see the daughter married too, and was uncomfortable about leaving her alone in an unknown city.
The unknown city eventually became her home for life and the new workplace became the specially memorable one, as she met her future husband there, got married, resolving all concerns of loved ones, went on to become an epitome of women professional in India, with perfect work life balance!
In quest for new avenues and challenges in work, the couple together applied for a job in the new organization, a power generation company, which had just entered the sector, then, in the year 1978. The company, although a new entrant in the energy sector, displayed lot of promises of rising to the pinnacle, and thus became a target destination for many professionals, posing stiff competition for every applicant.
“For me, along with other criteria, fact that their office was nearer to my home, where I left my young son for whole day, for going to work, was a favorable one”.
Balancing was not easy, the demand of both a young son and the new company, was very high.
“Initially, work was less, hence I could go home on time to take care of the child. But, as company started gaining projects, work started to pour in. It became more and more difficult to manage time schedule at work, as expectation and demand of higher management soared high.”
-How did you balance then, with a baby at home and the new job posing so many challenges?
It was not easy. Every day she would take a quick ride to home in her bicycle to catch glimpse of the baby who was left with a maid whole day. Her then boss found out this and was not exactly happy with the arrangement, asked her to get a permission from higher authorities to leave the office during lunch hour every day.
She went to senior management and was able to get a written permission, which infuriated the boss beyond bounds. But at the end, the same person acknowledged her capabilities as an able professional, appreciated her very much and in an occasion later, when she was being denied a promotion for just being a woman candidate, he strongly objected and saw to it that her performance is rewarded right.
That’s the way, she took the workplace issues in her stride and moved on effortlessly in a perceived male dominated terrain. As she crossed those initial hurdles, Reetadidi, as she is fondly known to her junior women colleagues, actually levelled the path a bit, for her successors in the field, to follow, later.
She had worked in various areas, in Contracts, in Inspection, which had been very important and challenging especially in forming organizational characteristic, in initial years, and later building on the legacy. Her expertise involved clinching high worth contracts in different areas like boiler, turbine and other systems involving power generation.
“One needs to have knowledge of systems and technologies, negotiating skills and complete understanding and foresight of contractual implications, to have a success in these jobs. “
Her job was multifaceted, involving interaction with a host of NTPC departments, national and international vendors, the government and at times funding agencies. She remembered many senior officials who had showered praises and appreciations, in her days. Though, the usual reward did not always come in right manner and at right time, yet she could create a unique identity for herself, which has made her a well-known name across the organization and beyond!
Other than her organizational assignments, she had been very active in executives association where she raised lot of important issues for employees, especially for women employees. Her fight led to modification in many basic rules for rights of women employees like medical, dependent rule etc.
“There was a very constructive way, the management then, collaborated with the association, which was encouraging and created an atmosphere of harmony in the organization. This kind of culture of healthy collaboration actually makes an organization great.”
-It has been a long time since 1970, when you studied engineering, alone in a class. Nowadays, lot of girls are joining engineering classes. What do you think of this?
She feels happy that now so many girls are opting to study engineering. But, sadly, reflection in industry is very poor, especially in core industries, presence of women is still very low.
“There are similar problems, same issues, existing for ladies till date, especially in sectors where women are less. Only difference of today being, as more girls come, they can approach together towards solving these issues or at least raise voices. This is also important. Women are no less than their male counterparts but fail to get equal recognition, as they are less in numbers.”
She feels women in workplace require something more than just being treated equal to men. Actually, she thinks, women need to be encouraged more and be given certain considerations if required, in order to perform to their fullest potential, to overcome the challenges and issues that exist for them, socially and otherwise. She has her reasons for this.
“Women should get consideration in the right spirit, as they are also the torch bearers at home, If the children are neglected the very future of the country is at risk. Still in our societies, women are perceived to hold full responsibilities for the household works, which put more stresses on working women. This mindset needs to change and is changing with time now, but at a very slow pace. Till such time, these should be factors of consideration, for the employer, where women employees are concerned.”
She made it a point to train her sons in domestic works, and never let them feel any different from women, rather encouraging them as she says, to become a complete human.
“That’s the way it should be, for every mother to raise their children as a complete person irrespective of their gender. My sons do their household works themselves and I feel equally proud when they cook meals for me, or when they achieve professional successes.” She broke down in a benign smile of a proud mother.
The brave lady cruised through her professional journey, gave her two hundred percent, even after withstanding personal loss of a great amount. She never stopped even after losing her beloved eldest son.
“He was a saintly boy, a brilliant mind, and inspired me as a mother, as a human so much that I could not let my great loss go in vain. I became more and more attached to my duties, my work, in a nonchalant way, trying to do my best without worrying for results. It calmed me and made a better person out of me.”
This led to a poise and confident of such a height that it strengthened her to become a game changer for women in energy.
Her organization recognized her sacrifices and contribution, by making her the first woman to rise to a level, which in those days, no one perceived a woman could achieve really! It was perhaps not enough considering the abilities she possessed, but it was an historical moment, a milestone achieved for all women who aspire a career in the field of energy, of core sector.
She had opened door for many more women engineers in India to aim high, and dream big. Thus, Ms. Reeta Bandyopadhyay would always be named as one of the very first few women achievers in the field of power and a truly inspirational lady for every woman, always.
S.N: This write up is based on facts shared by Ms Reeta Bandyopadhyay, Ex GM, NTPC Limited with WEI
Picture Courtsey: Ms Reeta Bandyopadhyay