Madhavi Latha, who spent 17 years contributing to the construction of the world’s highest railway bridge, has been receiving praise for her “hard work” and “sacrifice”. People have been ringing her, sending her texts saying that they want their daughters to follow her footsteps. There are headlines that laud her as the “woman behind the mission” and the one who “made the impossible possible”. But Latha isn’t impressed. She insists the achievement is the result of collective effort, involving thousands of people, and that people should stop giving her unnecessary fame. In her words, “All glory belongs to Indian Railways.”
In a now-viral LinkedIn post, Latha “congratulated India” on the inauguration of the Chenab Railway bridge. The bridge was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6.
“The bridge is a Civil Engineering marvel. All glory of the planning, design and construction goes to Indian Railways and AFCONS,” she wrote on LinkedIn, before adding, “Thousands of people have significantly contributed in different ways for the construction of this iconic bridge. There are millions of unsung heroes to whom I salute today.”
She also clarified her role in the project, calling claims of her “miraculous” contribution to building the bridge “baseless”.
“My role as a geotechnical consultant to AFCONS was to help in developing slope stabilisation schemes and the design of foundations on slope,” she explained.
While she said it warms her heart to receive messages from people who want their daughters to be like her, she firmly added that she is just “one of the thousands who deserve appreciation for the Chenab bridge”.
“Please don’t make me unnecessarily famous,” she urged people as she requested “privacy”.
‘Expects nothing less from her’: Social media reacts
While a section of social media users congratulated her for the Chenab bridge, others were in awe of her down-to-earth LinkedIn post.
“If you have an urge to take credit for any task, you still need to work on something meaningful until you reach the level of Dr Madhavi Latha, where external validation doesn’t matter,” wrote one social media user.
Another added, “Respects to Dr Latha. And eternal respect for the culture which teaches that modesty is a virtue.”
“One expects nothing less from a truly deserving ‘leader’. It is not just ‘modesty’. It is the attitude towards life. A manager or administrator would have gleefully walloped all credit and admiration for success on her/his own. Respect and Admiration, Dr Madhavi Latha,” said a third.
A fourth commented, “This is how truly great people respond. When fame knocks, they open the door with humility. Dr G. Madhavi Latha, the geotechnical mind behind the Chenab Bridge, gave credit not to herself, but to the thousands who built it. Success may elevate you, but grace keeps you grounded.”