These days, Harshini Kanhekar enjoys her slow mornings in Nagpur. Though travelling between Agartala and Nagpur for work, Kanhekar finds this journey not long. “I still remember the day I got my uniform,” Kanhekar, who is India’s first female firefighter, says with a smile.
Born and brought up in Maharashtra’s Nagpur, Kanhekar says that she never thought of becoming a firefighter. In an interview with Outlook, Kanhekar highlights the challenges and victories during her career of 20 years as a firefighter.
What inspired you to pursue a career in firefighting, and what challenges did you face as a woman entering a male-dominated field?
🌺It all started during my National Cadet Corps (NCC) days. I realised that I wanted to wear a uniform and serve the nation. This feeling came after I read an interview of Shivani Kulkarni, who was the first Indian Air Force pilot from the Vidarbha region. Her story inspired me. At that time, I had only thought of joining either the Air Force, the Army or the Navy. I studied physics, chemistry and mathematics in college as those were the subjects required to become a pilot.
ꦍThere are two entrance exams to join the Indian Air Force. Unfortunately, I didn’t pass, which was really disappointing. It had always been my dream, and I cried a lot because I thought I would never get to wear that blue uniform. But after some time, I moved on. I thought, if not blue, why not khaki? So, I shifted my focus to the Army and began preparing.
♛In Nagpur, Captain Chintaman Chafekar used to conduct the Service Selection Board (SSB) preparation classes. We attended those sessions to learn how to prepare for the SSB interview. During one of the classes, Chafekar mentioned that we might be asked to talk about the important aspects of our city. I remember noting down that Nagpur has the largest medical college in all of Asia and that it’s home to the only National Fire Service College (NFSC) in Asia. At that time, I never imagined I would end up studying in one of those colleges. After clearing all the tests and interviews, I got admission to the NFSC. Whatever I am sharing now is part of that journey.
How did you overcome the societal and cultural barriers to become a female firefighter?
♌I still remember my first day at the NFSC when I went to submit the admission form. I was the only woman in the entire campus, even the domestic help were men. I overheard some men saying that maybe she was here to deposit some letters or parcels because the post office was adjacent to the college building. We even heard someone saying pagal hein kya, ye ladko ka college hein (are you mad? This is a men’s college).
🌞My father, who accompanied me, walked straight to the admission counter and we submitted the form. There was a medical test before the admission, where the doctor asked me if I would be able to work with fire for many hours, slide in dust and so much more. I said, why not?
𓄧Before becoming a firefighter, you should know how to drive a truck. We had a truck parked near our house and every time I drove, people used to pass comments and laugh too. But neither I nor my family cared about them and we did what we thought we should do.
Who do you draw inspiration from?
🌞My father has always been the backbone of my career. He has helped me through thick and thin and never stopped me from becoming and doing what I wanted to do. Even before preparing for any test related to the NFSC and firefighting, he made me prepare for competitive exams so I would get used to the environment and style.
🤪K C Wadhwa, who was the director of the NFSC, supported me a lot. In my first year, he said that I will be the first Kiran Bedi—the first woman to join the Indian Police Service in 1972—of the NFSC.
🗹And I am always indebted and grateful to Savitribai Phule who helped women to go to school and get education. Babasaheb Ambedkar has been an idol and inspiration too.
What would be your advice for young women?
YOLO—you only live once—right?
🙈I have believed in this idea and always did what I wanted to. After becoming a firefighter, I never stopped learning and continued to play sports, learn instruments and several other things. I would just tell them that you should never stop learning, and move forward in the path and career you aspired for.
Jinit Parmar is a senior correspondent who writes on international affairs, art, culture, current affairs, politics and the environment from Mumbai
This article is a part of Outlook's March 11, 2025 Women's Day special issue 'Women at Work', which explores the experiences of women in roles traditionally occupied by men. It appeared in print as 'Drawn To A Flame’
