Odisha: Anupriya Lakra first tribal woman pilot from Red zone

KORAPUT: For Anupriya Lakra from Maoist-hit Malkangiri district, which is one of the remotest corners of Odisha with no proper road connectivity until a few years ago, let alone rail or air link, sky has always been the limit.
A brilliant student, the 27-year-old always wanted to become a pilot. She gave up engineering midway to sit for its entrance test. Today she has made her family and the state proud by becoming the first tribal woman pilot from Malkangiri.
“I am very proud of my daughter. Since childhood, she wanted to make it big in life and today she has succeeded in doing so. All the credit goes to her hard work and to her mother who stood by her through thick and thin,” Anupriaya’s father Mariniyas Lakra beamed. He is a havildar in the state police department and is posted in Malkangiri.
Celebrations began at home and in Malkangiri district, about 600km from Bhubaneswar, as soon as the news of Anupriya becoming a pilot broke a few days ago.
Anupriya joined a private airline as a co-pilot recently and will soon will be flying commercial planes.
Belonging to the Santal community, Anupriya who is the eldest of three children (she has two younger brothers), had studied at Deepti Convent School in Malkangiri till Class VII before shifting to Semiliguda where she completed her intermediate course from Jeevan Jyoti School and subsequently moved to Bhubaneswar to study engineering.
However, overwhelmed by her passion to become a pilot she left engineering midway and started preparing for entrance examination and finally joined a flying institute in Bhubaneswar in 2012.
“She has been fond of aeroplanes for as long as I can remember. She would often tell us that one day she would become a pilot. She has now turned her dream into a reality. She obtained a commercial pilot licence in 2017. We are very proud of her achievement,” Ranjan Naik, Anupriya’s school friend, said.
Sister Anita, principal of the school in Malkangiri where Anupriya studied said, “She was a brilliant student and was very disciplined. We always knew that she will do something big in life. It’s a proud moment for our school. Her achievement will inspire other students of the region.”
However, Anupriya’s journey was not without its share of ups and downs.
“Though we faced severe financial constraints, we never allowed that to come in the way of our children’s education. I allowed my daughter to chase her dream and supported her all through. I will urge all parents to support their daughters and the choices they make in life and career,” Anupriya’s mother Jimaj, who has never seen an aeroplane in her life, said.
Meanwhile, chief minister Naveen Patnaik tweeted a congratulatory message for Anupriya on Sunday. In his message the chief minister hailed her as an epitome of perseverance and determination.