With an experience of nearly 20 years, Mumtaz Kazi is now serving
the most crowded railways in the world, the Mumbai Local
India’s pride and all along a supportive daughter, sister, wife and a caring mother”¦this is Mumtaz Kazi, the first woman diesel engine
driver in Asia. Limca Book of Records, in its 1995 edition, has acknowledged her success. Adding another feather to her cap
is that she is the first train driver who has the skill of driving both Electric and Diesel engine. In 1989, the change in the
railway recruitment board policy in India enabled her to get into the exam and she fared very well with the merits in all the
exams right from written exams to Personal Interview. With an experience of nearly 20 years, she is now serving the most
crowded railways in the world, the Mumbai Local. Born and brought up in Mumbai, Mumtaz has seen many ups and downs in life, but family support kept her moving. After completing schooling from the Seth Anandilal Poddar High school, Mumtaz applied for the motorman job after her SSC in 1989. She got appointed in 1991 after the completion of her twelfth exam. But this was
resisted by her father. “When I was selected, my father, Allahrakhu Ismail Kathawala, who himself was in the Railways as the Trunk Superintendent at Churchgate railway station resisted and asked me to complete my DMLT course,” says Mumtaz in an interaction
with TwoCircles.net. But A.I. Kathawala, as her father was popularly known, was advised by his friends in railways and other relatives to allow Mumtaz to take up the job. ” R.V. Raikar uncle, who was a close friend of my father, finally succeeded and convinced
my father,” informs Mumtaz. A.I. Kathawala said, “I am really proud of my daughter because she is not only successful in her
profession, but also because she changed the life of my family.” Kathawala continued to praise her courageous daughter. He
said it’s because of her support, he was able to buy a home in Mumbai and was able to educate his two sons, Imtiyaz and Feroz,
who are both engineers and now settled in Canada. Mumtaz married Maqsood Kazi, an electrical engineer from Nandoorbar, a district
of Maharashtra near Gujarat border. Now she is a mother of two beautiful children, Tausif Ahmed, 8 and Fateen, 4. Maqsood, the proud husband of Mumtaz said: “She is a lovely housewife and a very caring mother.” He added, “To take care of our kids, Mumtaz opted
to leave the due promotion, but Allah will give her the best reward.” BBC had portrayed Mumtaz in their documentary on Indian
Railways. Mamta Kulkarni, the first woman Station Master in Central Railway, is a good friend and colleague of Mumtaz. She said, “Mumtaz has received the Railways General Manager award, Divisional Railway Manager award and many more
to come, but she is very down to earth, very humble and such a good friend to have.” What does Mumtaz think for her kids? “I am educating and bringing them up to be successful in both the world here and hereafter,” she said. (Source: Two Circles Net Special Series on Women of Inspiration)
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