On November 28, 2006, I wrote about Namira Salim, the first Pakistani woman to go to space. On the other hand, Kalpana Chawla, was the first Indian female to travel space. What makes these two women special is the countries(India & Pakistan) to which they belong
Kalpana Chawla: She was born in Karnal of Punjab. From childhood, Chawla was interested in flying aeroplanes. The town where she grew up had a small flying club and she often asked her father to take her there for flying. One day, her father took her and her brother for a ride on aeroplanes. In an interview, before her space mission in STS-107, Chawla shared this incident. Since childhood, she decided to become an aerospace engineer. Another person that inspired her most was J.R.D Tata, also known as “The father of Indian Aviation.” Chawla studied in
Both Kalpana and Namira’s fathers are Punjabis. Namira’s father hailed from Sheikhupura of Pakistani Punjab. Kalpana’s father lives in Karnal. Both their fathers are successful businessmen. Kalpana’s father was a leading tire industrialist and Namira’s father, Salim, has heavy construction industry in
Kalpana got her inspiration from J.R.D Tata, who first started commercial flights in
Both these ladies are adventurous in nature. Kalpana’s hobbies include flying, hiking, back-packing, and reading. Kalpana had license to fly single- and multi-engine land and seaplanes, and Gliders. On the other hand, Namira enjoys flying and scuba diving. Namira is also a sculptor, painter, musician and designer. Namira has her own designer line “Purely a Soul Affair” which contains decorative fashion accessories, art objects, musical pieces and tableware.
Namira is an astronomer. She is the first female member of the “Amastro Pak,” the first astronomy society of
My intention is not to make a comparison and show who is better between these two. These two women may belong to different countries but they share more or less same social background. With their talents, hard work, determination, and support from their families, especially, fathers, they have come out and proved their talents. These two women have become a symbol of hope for the women of India and Pakistan. Through their efforts, they have proven that there are no difference between a man and a woman. Given equal opportunity a woman can excel equally as a man.
Useful links:
Jang.com
Telelife
Khaleej times
The Peninsula
Haryana-online.com
Space.com
Wikipedia
you are a role model for are next genaration especialy the females.
Posted by: masooma raza | December 11, 2006 8:57 PM | Permalink to Comment