The women workforce in India is much more than that of America. “And we should be proud of that,” said astronaut Sunita Williams, drawing a round of applause.
Williams, who holds the record for the longest space flight – of 195 days – by a woman, was in the city on Wednesday when she interacted with women who stay at the Indian Council of Social Welfare Working Women’s hostel in Chembur. A throng of about 500 schoolchildren from different schools across the city also jostled for space at the venue.
Williams, who has held interactive sessions at science centres in New Delhi and Kolkata over the last couple of days, has been on a globe-trotting spree meeting women. She has a keen interest in women empowerment and in adoption and upbringing of underprivileged children.
At the Chembur women’s hostel, which was packed with a lot of chaos and confusion, Williams was accorded a traditional welcome with the sound of drumbeats and excited schoolchildren lining up to greet her.
Sporting a black tee and beige pants, the Indian-American’s talk transcended the frontiers of space science as she regaled the audience with interesting nuggets of information that left the audience, especially the tiny tots, pretty amused.
“I love samosas. I once carried samosas with me on the space craft too,” Williams admitted.
She has always carried an idol of Lord Ganesha along on her journeys to space.
Williams, who is scheduled to hold a lecture at Nehru Science Centre, Worli on Thursday, said that she is excited about holding a space programme for schoolchildren in India.
Some among the enthusiastic students present at the venue, especially the very young ones, did not have a clue about Williams. A schoolgirl aged around 10 told DNA that she would love to go to space like “Sunita aunty”, referring to Williams. The child hastily dropped her ambitious plan: “No, it will be scary. My mummy will scold me,” she said, slipping away into the clique of her friends.
