Thread by @nitinwelde

#leadership #GunjanSaxenaTheKargilGirl I have been singularly blessed to have served in @IAF_MCC.My knowing Gunjan & serving in Kargil were reasons to watch it FDFS. Post-show, I felt disappointed, hurt& frustrated. The feelings were due to utmost respect for institutions of IAF.

For me, people will come and go but the Organisation is supreme. They have institutionalized the discrimination/humiliation & that needs to be called out.I call it out loud and clear " Dear Movie Makers of Gunjan Saxena: You got it all wrong. I invite you to read along the thread

Movie Makers of ‘Gunjan Saxena “: You Got It All Wrong
Dear Movie Maker, I am an Air Veteran and today I write to you in reference to the movie “Gunjan Saxena- The Kargil Girl”

My career in Indian Air Force gave me a great amount of exposure and I was extremely lucky to have some great assignments in India and abroad. I have some awesome experiences while working with women officers in general and in flying branch in particular.

I have been voicing my opinion on various forums & this informed opinion comes out of my own experiences. Before you begin to think about my experience here is a summary

1st batch of Women Pilots passed out with my course.2nd trained together in AFA.3rd & 4th( Gunjan's ) trained together in Helicopter Training School. I trained Shaliza Dhami who is the 1 st woman Flying Instructor & first woman Flight Commander of Indian Air Force.

I was Flight Commander of 132 Flight, Udhampur (yes same one as Gunjan). We had Women Officers who made up 30 % of our pilot strength. I Commanded a unit in which Women Officers were 30% of total pilot strength.

At the outset let me compliment the good work by all actors. Perfectly played the parts & narrative as allotted. You have been most authentic in the display of uniform, offices & briefing rooms. Scenes between the family members are also very realistic. Great job there.

Every story needs a challenge & revival of the protagonist. I am aware of Story Spine as well as Joseph Campbell’s formula. I am fully conscious that you wanted to show the challenges faced by Gunjan Saxena. Dear Movie Maker, this is where you haven't done well at all

In your need for creative freedom, you have depicted some great institutions in poor light. To me, these institutions are pillars of the @IAF_MCC. These institutions have the greatest contribution in nurturing the growth of every pilot of the IAF. Here is a debrief.

Flight Commander
The Flight Commander is busiest, most efficient & strictest of them all. Yet he is the most loved one. He is like a bandmaster; his only job is to tune & retune the music so that melody emerges. You cannot do this without knowing each team member.

The needs of every member are known to Flight Commander & he spends hours ensuring the different gears move together to make the unit perform. This is a tough job. There exists no work-life balance for a Flight Commander. But that is where it becomes most satisfying tenure.

The boys & girls never forget you & you cherish memories of your Flight Commandership.
Debrief: Flight Commanders welcome newly posted officers, they do not insult them. They groom youngsters, do not humiliate them. They uphold the institution of CO.

They do not let anyone talk loosely in front of them. Surely not about CO & another officer. A pilot prepared for sortie is the most motivated soldier & never does a Flt Cdr kill that motivation. He doesn’t pamper juniors so much that they start to“chalao him”

You have not understood the greatness of this institution. You got it wrong here.
Commanding Officer: This is the most coveted assignment in Armed Forces. The designation, responsibility & authority is unique. Only few get chosen & that selection is based on good performance.

Apart from great professional expertise, these officers are judged on their maturity & compassion. Meet any Ex Commanding Officer and he makes it a point to tell you which unit he commanded. COs are super proud of their Command.

Debrief : Commanding Officers know every nook and corner of their unit and hence know there is no changing room. They are careful in their language and their demeanor is worth emulating. The CO is aware of everything that happens in the unit.

They do not get shocked in the briefing room. They let the Flight Commander run the unit not “Chalao them”. COs are compassionate towards youngsters especially when they are going through a tough time.

Every Commanding Officer of the Indian Air Force knows the pulse of the unit, finally it is their unit and they are proud of that. You have not understood the revered institution. You got it wrong here too.

Youngsters: These are the real “karta Dharta” of the unit. The unit is led by CO & Flt Cdr but “chalti hain” thanks to this team.These teammates bond with each other like a family. Their age is such that they are full of Masti &Hungama. They work hard, play hard, and party harder

Bring on a mission and they change their bearing within a minute. They work together in the unit but bond together on food, drinks, and dance. They are the heart of the unit.
Debrief: Unit-mates help you to settle down in a new unit, they don’t make your life miserable.

They are a team and will always adjust for other mates too. They groom the new officer by interacting not by running away. They are on the job trainers and ensure that new guy is trained in all aspects Flying, Sports, Ethos, Traditions (bar traditions included).

Air Force pilots do not chicken out from flying with anyone as a Co-Pilot. They have trust in the training academy and know that the youngster has passed without any dilution of standards.
You have not understood the heart of the Indian Air Force. You got it wrong here too.

Final Remarks :
I am sure by now you have received enough debrief on the treatment given to WOs I can give you some insights into that too.But let us leave that for some other day. My debrief is specifically intended to make you understand the culture of the Indian Air Force.

Names will come & go but certain Offices have a greater responsibility than we can fathom. You have portrayed institutionalized victimization & that is unacceptable. Next time give full weightage to Org Culture. Your movie will do well, & you will earn the respect of countrymen.