No woman had ever got this job in the state until her; The story of Telangana’s first ‘linewoman’

There are some jobs that people assume belong to men. Not because women cannot do them. Simply because women were never allowed to try. For years, the post of ‘Junior Lineman’ in Telangana carried a signboard.

The recruitment notification clearly stated that only men could apply. Women were excluded even before the exam began. Babburi Shirisha questioned that rule.At 22, the young woman from a small village in Siddipet district of Telangana did something no woman in the state had done before. She became the first woman ‘Junior Lineman’ or we should say, ‘linewoman’ in the Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) in May 2022.

But before she climbed electric poles, she had to climb over rules, court battles and years of doubt.

A dream that began in a small village

As per a TOI report, Shirisha grew up in Chebarthi in Siddipet. Life was not easy as her mother worked as a daily wage labourer to support the family and ensure her daughter could study. The dream of becoming a lineman was not about making history for Shirisha. It was a need for a secure job, better life and the ability to support her mother.

When TSSPDCL announced recruitment for Junior Linemen, the notification mentioned that only men were eligible. For many women, that would have been the end of the story. For Shirisha, it became the start of a long fight..

Fighting for the right to apply

Along with another candidate, V. Bharathi, Shirisha challenged the "men-only" rule in the Telangana High Court. The case was bigger than one job. It questioned why women were being kept away from an entire profession.

The court ruled in their favour, directing the authorities to allow women to participate in the recruitment process.The legal victory opened the door. But Shirisha still had to prove herself.

The 8-metre challenge

The Junior Lineman recruitment process is physically demanding. Candidates must clear written examinations, physical fitness tests and the famous pole-climbing test: climbing an eight-metre electric pole within a stipulated time.As per a TOI report, Shirisha trained at home with the help of her uncle. In her village, she practised climbing poles repeatedly, preparing herself for the examination that many believed women could not clear.She eventually passed the written examination and successfully completed the eight-metre pole test. The journey to reach that pole had taken years.

The appointment letter that changed history

According to a TOI report, in May 2022, then Energy Minister G.

Jagadish Reddy handed over her appointment letter. Shirisha was posted to the Medchal circle of TSSPDCL, officially becoming the state's first woman Junior Lineman. Speaking after receiving the appointment letter, she said, "I am very happy that my dream has finally been realised. I cannot wait to get to work."

The promise she made to her mother

Behind every achievement in Shirisha's story stands her mother. While Shirisha studied and prepared for exams, her mother worked as a coolie, taking on physically demanding labour to support the family.

After her appointment, the daughter reversed those roles. "I am also going to shift my mother here. She no longer needs to work; she can retire now," Shirisha said."It is time to give back to my mother," she said.

More than just a first

India has seen women enter fighter cockpits, boardrooms and sports arenas. Yet some professions continue to remain heavily male-dominated, particularly jobs involving field work and physical labour. Shirisha's appointment may seem like a single recruitment story, but it represents something much larger. She did not ask for special treatment. She only asked for the opportunity to compete.Sometimes barriers are not broken by extraordinary acts. Sometimes they fall because one person refuses to accept a rule that says, "You cannot even try."