Women are destined to achieve great things in their lives. There is nothing in this world that women can’t do. They are going places with relative ease. Just like men, they do have an aim and purpose. Based on their range and type of vision, they would make a steep bounce in their careers. Have you ever heard of Mumtaz Kazi?
Mumtaz Kazi had the urge to star in Railways which was her ultimate goal. Now that she is Asia’s first woman to drive a diesel train and obviously the first Indian female driver to get into the scheme of things. Mumtaz also went on to become the first train driver to carve out her reputation for driving both Electric and Diesel engines.
In what is a remarkable piece of hard work from a beginner to become a pioneer in locomotive field, Mumtaz M. Kazi has been driving different types of trains since a very young age of 20. Known for the knack of superior driving skills, she steers local trains through India’s first and most congested railway route – the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus-Thane section.
Talking about Allarakhu Ismail Kathawala, Mumtaz’s father, he was a Trunk Superintendent at Churchgate railway station. Casting the time back to Mumtaz’s childhood times, she grew up in the railway quarters and in leisure times, she used to relish watching the different kinds of trains that move at a brisk pace.
Coming to her family background, Mumtaz comes from an orthodox Muslim family. It is learnt that she had applied for a Railways job in 1989. The fact that she was willing to up the ante in Railways field saw the opposition of her father as the latter himself was a senior employee in the division.
She got married to an electrical engineer named Maqsood Kazi of Nandurbar, the couple have two children. She was highlighted in LIMCA Book of Records In 1995 as the “first lady diesel locomotive driver”. She earned another accolade in the year 2015 when she was honoured with Railways General Manager Award
In a competitive world where men are competing with gumption to achieve greater heights, women are also escalating themselves in their respective fields as well. The fact that women’s efforts go overlooked is such a sad thing to see in contemporary world.
Mumtaz recently received the ‘Nari Shakti’ award in 2017 from President Dr Pranab Mukherjee for her dedication, commitment and for offering fruitful services to the Indian Railways. She is one among the top seven women who received this prestigious award. Mumtaz became an inspiration for women in India which would let the gallant girls dictate sharp and decisive moves to take the right step in their careers.
