The suburb of Chembur is famous not only for its golf course, old film studios, and migrants from Sindh
and Punjab, but it also prides itself in being home to war veterans and authors. One such power couple is
Mrs. Swati Vaidya and Mr. Sudhir Vaidya. These longtime residents of Chembur, an accomplished
serviceman and writer, are our pride.
Sudhir hails from the small village of Brahmagaon, Ashti Taluka, in Beed District of Maharashtra. From
a very young age he was interested in joining the army and successfully made it to one even while at
school. Trained in artillery at Nashik, he was immediately inducted in the Indian Army, and was deployed
at Husseinwala Border near Firozepur in July 1971. He was to shoulder great responsibility at the young
age of 21 much like the Mavlas of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He was attached to the 223 Medium
Regiment which received recognition at the Republic Day Parade of 1972 for their bravery in the 1971
war with Pakistan. After the war ended, Sudhir went on to complete his graduation at the Institute of Fire
Engineers in Delhi. He was employed with Hindustan Petroleum as a Fire Supervisor, and then had a
brief stint at an oil refinery in Abu Dhabi.
Sudhir is a very strict disciplinarian and commands great respect wherever he goes, and from whomever
he comes into contact with. At the same time, he is a very caring person and is a loving father and
grandfather, who looked after his own 103-year-old mother devotedly. He was recently felicitated by the
Deputy Commissioner of M Ward of Chembur Municipal Corporation as part of the Har Ghar Tiranga
programme.
Sudhir’s better half, Swati, is a versatile person and a socially inclined individual. She is a Bachelor of
Science and holds a Master’s degree in Education. She taught science subjects at the Narayanrao Acharya
Vidyaniketan Chembur for 31 long years. She is actively involved with Shantivan Leprosy Centre, Panvel
and has a desire to sensitise people towards the needy and ailing. For the yeoman service Swati does for
society, she has been conferred with several awards and titles, chief among these is the Navdurga
Puruskar and the Vidya Bhushan Puruskar by the Akhil Bhartiya Sahitya Mandal Thane for her
contribution to education.
Swati’s latest achievement is authoring a book in Marathi “Jidda – Ek Sainik Chi” meaning “The
Belligerence of a Soldier”. The book is based on true events and experiences of her husband Sudhir, who
participated as a soldier on the front in the 1971 Indo – Pak war. The book has figured as a literary
masterpiece in several Marathi magazines, and has won Swati several accolades. The feather in her cap is
a letter written by our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi complimenting the couple for the exploits in
war and the narration of the chronological order of the events in the form of a book. Swati is currently the
Chairman of the Chembur Mahila Samaj, and is associated with Bal Vikas Mandir and her book is being
translated into English.
Sudhir and Swati believe in living a life of purpose, and spread their message through Achraya 90 Radio
Station. They believe in the adage, ‘Once a soldier always a soldier!’ The story of this couple is a good
example of how a purposeful life leads people from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
