Politeness is inbuilt, courage to take on any mission,could be impossible but they just do it with a smile on their face!
BY M S Nazki
Pir Panjal, 27
Politeness is inbuilt, courage to take on any mission, could be impossible but they just do it with a smile on their face!
Once you embrace your value, talents and strengths, it neutralizes when others think less of you! You know what you are, we salute the ladies from BSF!
‘Her reflection's hair was short, but she wore a simple violet robe tied at the waist with a blue sash. At her hip was her father's sword, and tucked in her hair- a blossom from their family's cherry tree.’ But that was childhood. The colorful dress was gone and she had become a fanatic to wear the camouflages. She did and announced to the world that we have arrived’... This is our salute to the women in BSF (Border Security Force who are always prepared for a showdown! On the borders it can happen any time’!
-‘ These women know that an uncertain warrior is no warrior at all. If you are in the uniform you know that you have to play a match with circumstances and situations arise! But these girls are comfortable with the situations! Sounds amazing but that is what the truth is! The picture with the story depicts a lot and it is all about camaraderie and the spirit to fight!’
-‘The women down the ages have always been questioned, how brave you are for building paths out of the wreckage? How strong are you for standing in the midst of a greater collapse? How wise you are to expand your spirit beyond human limitations and continue becoming more of yourself, every single time. The world won't make you battle cry, you're a warrior who learnt to shine.’ The women fighters from BSF have a reply, ‘we may be fragile but we are fierce’!
-‘ These girls have learnt it from their parents and since daughters are the most loved ones at home they surely must have been advised,dDo not chase another human being. Instead, chase your curiosity. Chase your development and your goals. Chase your passion. Strive to work for something bigger than yourself, and instead of trying to convince someone that you fit within their world, strive to build your own. The four in the picture have’! We too will do our bit on the frontiers so that our country men/women/children remain safe, always and every time. And we mean business!
-‘The Border Security Force (BSF), employs some of the most exceptional but less known women in the country. I have read some stories of these unsung heroes who protect the international borders of the country and scribbled them in my diary. But these stories are ig but I will have to condense it for the readers because I believe that courage believes in no gender, it is a spirit that can enter any one, be it man or a woman!
-‘Asha Adhikari (Border Security Force), from Uttarakhand, has a remarkable story. Her father passed away, leaving the bride-to-be and the eldest daughter of the family responsible for her mother and three sisters. After deciding to call off her marriage, Adhikari joined the armed forces and is happy with her decision. Being the first from her village to join the forces, Asha faced resistance from many; she however, stood by her decision. She believes that all the people who once taunted her, now silently admire her courage as their mindsets are slowly changing.
-Manju Kanwar from Makrana, in Nagaur district, also joined the forces after the demise of her father. She had this to say, ‘as a child, I had a fascination for those in uniform. My father supported me. After he died, my mother was keen that I join the force. ‘She too faced resistance from the villagers but with support from her uncle and father she fulfilled her dream.’
-‘Reena Sharma is another woman who has made a mark for herself in the BSF. She got married to another BSF officer just six months ago and found support in her father. Ravi Gandhi, BSF spokesperson said: ‘There were operational needs for inducting women personnel. All along the Indo-Pak border and in Bengal and the North East farming is done beyond the fenced land under BSF supervision. There was no one to frisk the women when they went into the farms. So the Mahila Rraharis as they are called were deployed in border areas where farming is done.’
-‘Examples such as this are many and much, much more will come to the forefront as the time goes and the world progresses!’
I got a picture and it was SRK who had sent it to me and I was in no mood to even check my mail out. But at the good night ceremonies on the telephone he did tell me that sir please check out the mail and the picture! I had no idea, I checked out at ten in the morning and then went into a bit of guilt, I should have done it the night last! But could I have been given the treatment of a women’s patrol of BSF, under the arrows of sun rays blistering down the skies! No way I could have done that so here it is as I ask my office boy for a glass of water! The scoundrel asked me sweet or sour!’!
-Before I start this piece I have an incident with me which I took down from a newspaper. It was a report and I'm using it here in this story’
-‘These fighters have only one message to spread, ‘trust us that some of the best days of your life haven’t even happened yet. There are going to be parties that leave you dancing until 6am, spontaneous adventures that teach you more than you ever learned in a classroom. There are going to be nights that will stay burned beneath your eyelids, memories that dance underneath your skin. Life is going to exceed your expectations, it is going to astonish you with its timing’
-A little story:
BSF's first woman officer in Odisha has/had been telling parents to educate their daughters and creating awareness among schoolgirls about the importance of joining forces. Amandeep Kaur - Border Security Force (BSF)'s first woman officer to be deployed in Odisha. It was not about patrolling the State borders to check Maoist infiltration, she spent her time telling girls in remote villages of Koraput district about the importance of education and joining the forces. The girls were in awe of a woman officer in uniform and asked her questions on getting into BSF. ‘BSF is a challenging job but fulfilling at the same time. Because, by protecting your homeland, you also pave the way for development of the region,’ Amandeep said. A native of Punjab's Muktsar Sahib district, the 30-year-old assistant commandant had been posted at BSF's 68th Battalion headquartered in Rayagada district since February. A month into her deployment, Kaur leads over 35 security personnel in area domination exercises and takes part in outreach programs in Maoist-affected areas of Koraput. As part of the outreach programmes, she has been reaching out to people in 40 to 45 remote villages and creating awareness on education of girl child besides, explaining the nuances of joining security forces to school-going girls. She tells parents about residential schools run by the State government where they can send their girls for free education. ‘education of girls is very important if people in these remote pockets want to see development. It is also important that girls from Maoist-hit areas should enter the forces to protect their motherland," said Kaur, who during her outreach programs also highlights the significance of women officers/personnel in the BSF and their roles in anti-Maoist operations or on the international borders.’ Prior to her deployment in anti-Maoist operations in Odisha, Kaur was deployed at the India-Pakistan border in Punjab. She joined BSF in 2012 as a sub-inspector and was later promoted as inspector. Last year, she rose to the rank of assistant commandant. (This I read and wrote in my diary a year back)
‘You will hurt people. You will hurt, and you will be hurt. However, you will also love, and you will be loved in the most magnificent ways. To live life is to understand that together these extremes thrive within us — our heart is both a blessing and a blade. To put our soul into the hands of someone who could wound it or heal it is quite possibly the most courageously beautiful risk we take. It is like looking someone right in the eye and saying you may hurt me, but you may also love me, and I am willing to take that chance. I am willing to trust…………..(Amandeep Kour, Border Security Force)
Sometimes courage isn’t climbing Mount Everest or changing the world. Sometimes your mountain to climb is made up of weekdays and months, made up of pushing yourself forward even when you want to nestle into the past. Sometimes changing the world means changing your world as gradually as you need to, as gently as you heal, because sometimes courage isn’t made up of war and bloodshed; sometimes courage isn’t made of combat. Sometimes courage is a quiet fight, a dim softness within you, that flickers even on your darkest days and reminds you that you are strong, that you are growing—that there is hope. Politeness and humbleness can do something that is not expected. Nothing short of a miracle! These girls from BSF are themselves miracles!’
