SARIC Rising Tide

T he Jhelum river winds its way through the town of Uri in Kashmir, inexorably pushing through mountains that are both geographic and political in nature. Less than 10km from the border between India and Pakistan, the area tests the resilience of those who live and work in this paradoxically beautiful region of India. Somewhere below the towering peaks and nestled among apple and peach trees is a home where a mother moves around the kitchen, working on breakfast for her young family. Headphones clamped firmly on her head, she listens intently to a lecture before heading to the hydro-electric plant she manages—and where she is the only woman. Part of SAR100’s initial cohort, Shipra Kharwal grins when asked what she’d like her daughter to know about her mother. It’s a courage borne of an innate belief in her own capabilities. “I didn’t plan on becoming an electrical engineer,” she says, adding, “My father is an automotive engineer, and my mother a homemaker. And it was my mother who was the driving force, making education a priority and pushing three children toward higher learning.” This early support would be matched by her in-laws. “I’d applied to study both medicine and engineering, mainly because I wanted a professional qualification. I was accepted for the latter, and selected for mechanical engineering. That was a challenge because there were no other women in the class; electrical engineering was my backup plan.” Shirpa fell in lovewith engineeringwhen she realised how well it engaged her brain. “It’s fascinating to think about the flow of electricity, its increases, the issues, and how I can solve them.” It’s that intellectual curiosity that has taken her well beyond her home state of Himachal Pradesh, to working with the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and experiences such as being briefly stuck underground at night on a construction site when the lights went out. “I love being in Uri today,” she laughs. “It’s an adrenaline rush!” CARVING YOUR OWN RIVERBED S H I PRA KHARWA L I ND I A 8 9 I want her to be like me; I see a lot of strength in myself. I want her to see that I have never failed, and to never be afraid in anything she chooses to do. carving your own riverbed