I am not a big fan of vacuous symbolism. While it is a humongous moment for gender equality in India that a woman has been chosen to be India’s Defense Minister, to reduce Nirmala Sitharaman to just that would be a travesty. Sitharaman is where she is due to her hard work, intellect, poise and steely determination. That she also happens to be a woman is incidental to her success.  I call her first woman defense Minister because in my opinion, Indira Gandhi’s stint does not count, since she essentially kept the additional Defense portfolio with herself while she was the Prime Minister.

First time I spoke to Nirmala Sitharaman was in 2013. She was then the no nonsense spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party who would routinely disarm hostile news anchors with facts and strong debating skills. I was working on a piece on how BJP perceived women and how women BJP leaders and karyakartas were treated within the party. Sitharaman was surprisingly forthright. She spoke at length about how without any bahu-beti tag she would not have survived in any other party. She said she had been given tough assignments as party worker and was cut no slack because she was a woman. ‘And that is how it should be’, she added with a smile. I asked her directly if women were required to wear sarees and dress conservatively in the party. She laughed and said ‘Please come and see for yourself. Lot of young karyakartas wear western clothes or whatever they are comfortable with. I wear sarees because that is what I am most comfortable with. No one tells us how to dress’.  I sensed firm determination in her voice that only grew with time. Here was someone who wanted to make a difference.

Sitharaman joined the BJP in 2006. She worked her way up to become the party’s national spokesperson first, then Commerce Minister and now Defense Minister. In Indian political scene burdened with dynastic politics it is hard to see such a meteoric rise of any politician in such a short time. Yet it is not difficult to see why Sitharaman has succeeded. She takes her job extremely seriously and does not get swayed away by frivolous stuff. She is remarkably restrained and at the same time very gracious. Never the one to invite any needless controversy, Sitharaman has made a choice that she will be known only by her work. She maintained low profile during her stint as Commerce Minister only appearing on television screens when she was explaining a policy change pertaining to her ministry or when she was called upon by her party to address Media.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reposed a lot of faith in Sitharaman by naming her as Defense Minister of India. However, if one understands a bit of how Narendra Modi works it is not entirely because he wanted to make a statement that a woman is now heading one of the largest military powers of the world. Surely that must have been one of his considerations but Sitharaman’s nerves of steel, incorruptible image and ability to speak in measured language even in trying times must have tilted the scales in her favor.

Heading Defense Ministry at this crucial juncture will be a huge challenge for Sitharaman. While she was praised for her tough as nails trade negotiations during WTO, she did come under a bit of fire for ‘Make in India’ not taking off as it was expected to. However, the challenges she will now face in Defense Ministry will really test her nerve. Running Raksha Mantralaya is not for the faint hearted. Defense Preparedness is a huge challenge that all Defense Ministers have had to deal with and have experienced varying degrees of success. Forces need fresh and modern equipment and there will always be a struggle between quick purchase of latest foreign equipment versus the long term option of Indigenous building of strategic weapon systems. This is where her experience with ‘Make in India’ will be tested. Will she favor ‘Make in India’ or will she have to give in to ‘Make with India’ as many analysts have suggested.

Besides that, any Defense Minister always must deal with the expectation from Right Wing for immediate ‘mooh tod jawab’ or a Jaw breaking response especially to our neighbor on the West. Every time there is a cease fire violation or any casualties on the border, there will be an expectation of quick retaliation. A Defense Minister and especially one from the perceived right-wing party will have to work hard in factoring those expectations and not getting provoked too easily and the ability to take criticism on the chin. When emotions run high, criticism is not always measured or even fair. A defense Minister from perceived Right-Wing party will also be hectored with the charge of ‘human rights violation’ especially in trouble torn state like Kashmir from ‘career human rights walas’. It will take a lot of tough skin to absorb these jabs thrown at the forces often carelessly and mostly out of ignorance, and continue doing what is right and necessary. Bureaucratic hurdles or red tape will be another challenge that Sitharaman will have to wade through. During OROP crisis it was evident how much the bureaucratic red tape can become a hurdle even for the top government officials who wish to deliver

Sitharaman has created history by smashing that glass ceiling but she has created bigger history by chasing excellence which she has demonstrated should be gender neutral.  In a land where our Goddesses have routinely fought wars to conquer evil and our queens have never shied away from battle fields, a woman Defense Minister is no anomaly.  That we have a woman leading us from the front is nothing extra ordinary. It is merely harking back to our glorious tradition about who we really are.

I have no doubt that Sitharaman will prove to be a very effective Defense Minister. Those who know her well have seen her passion and zeal for excellence. She has a challenging job ahead of her but her grit and perseverance will serve her well. India’s Armed Forces have finally found a leader who will lead them from the front.

Long after present becomes past and history is written, it is my hope that Nirmala Sitharaman will be remembered not just as the first woman Defense Minister of India but as one of the finest Defense Ministers this country has ever seen. We wish her good luck.