Campaign drives young girls to join armed forces
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Six women bikers of the Indian Army were surprised by a bar- rage of innocent questions posed to them by school stu- dents in rural India, as they set out to promote awareness about women joining the Army as well as women empowerment. The ocers of the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical En- gineers (EME) had left on a week-long sojourn from Bhopal, reaching Secunderabad after halting in Mhow (Madhya Pra- desh), Vadodara (Gujarat), Mumbai, Pune and Solapur (Maharashtra) as part of the 10th reunion celebrations of the Corps of EME under the banner of ‘EME Naari Shakti Motorcycle Expedition’. The team included Capt. KU Roji, Lt. Priya Kashyap, Maj. Deepti Bhatt, Maj. Gazelle Sa- reen, Major R.K. Nirban and the expedition leader Lt. Manmeet Kaur. Spreading awareness Their purpose was to make peo- ple aware about the idea and possibility of women taking up positions in the Indian Army, something they found was alto- gether unknown in rural parts of the four States they visited. Talking to The Hindu on their return to Secunderabad, the of- ficers recounted how school children in rural areas had no awareness of women’s recruit- ment in the Indian Army and were also clueless about women empowerment. One of them said the students asked them if women were allowed to use guns in the Army, go to the bat- tlefield or y fighter jets, and so on. “They were so innocent. We have answered all their queries and tried to motivate them to join the forces,” said Major Nirban. The ocers rode for 1,720 km. to mark women empower- ment, spread awareness on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s programme of ‘Beti Bachao’, Beti Padhao’ and motivate young girls to join the armed forces. Through their seven-day road campaign, the team mem- bers also interacted with Veer Naaris, Armed Forces veterans and college students. Lieutenant General Paramjit Singh agged in the expedition, which was attended by actor Amala Akkineni and Dutee Chand, a double silver medal winner in women’s 100 metres and 200 metres at Jakarta Asian Games. The concluding ceremony was also attended by a large number of serving ocers, vet- erans, schoolchildren, includ- ing girl students of the Army Pu- blic School, Bolarum. Campaign drives young girls to join armed forces Bike expedition by women ocers of Indian Army comes to an end Abhinay Deshpande Hyderabad Actor Amala Akkineni with the women ocers of EME Naari Shakti Motorcycle expedition, which started from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and concluded in Secunderabad on Thursday. * K.V.S. GIRI
Transcript of Campaign drives young girls to join armed forces
Six women bikers of the IndianArmy were surprised by a bar-rage of innocent questionsposed to them by school stu-dents in rural India, as they setout to promote awarenessabout women joining the Armyas well as womenempowerment.
The offi��cers of the Corps ofElectronics and Mechanical En-gineers (EME) had left on aweek-long sojourn from Bhopal,reaching Secunderabad afterhalting in Mhow (Madhya Pra-desh), Vadodara (Gujarat),Mumbai, Pune and Solapur(Maharashtra) as part of the10th reunion celebrations of theCorps of EME under the bannerof ‘EME Naari Shakti MotorcycleExpedition’.
The team included Capt. KURoji, Lt. Priya Kashyap, Maj.Deepti Bhatt, Maj. Gazelle Sa-reen, Major R.K. Nirban and the
expedition leader Lt. ManmeetKaur.
Spreading awarenessTheir purpose was to make peo-ple aware about the idea andpossibility of women taking uppositions in the Indian Army,something they found was alto-gether unknown in rural partsof the four States they visited.
Talking to The Hindu on theirreturn to Secunderabad, the of-fi��cers recounted how schoolchildren in rural areas had noawareness of women’s recruit-ment in the Indian Army andwere also clueless about womenempowerment. One of themsaid the students asked them ifwomen were allowed to useguns in the Army, go to the bat-tlefi��eld or fl��y fi��ghter jets, and soon.
“They were so innocent. Wehave answered all their queriesand tried to motivate them tojoin the forces,” said Major
Nirban.The offi��cers rode for 1,720
km. to mark women empower-ment, spread awareness onPrime Minister Narendra Modi’sprogramme of ‘Beti Bachao’,Beti Padhao’ and motivateyoung girls to join the armedforces.
Through their seven-dayroad campaign, the team mem-bers also interacted with VeerNaaris, Armed Forces veteransand college students.
Lieutenant General ParamjitSingh fl��agged in the expedition,which was attended by actorAmala Akkineni and DuteeChand, a double silver medalwinner in women’s 100 metresand 200 metres at Jakarta AsianGames.
The concluding ceremonywas also attended by a largenumber of serving offi��cers, vet-erans, schoolchildren, includ-ing girl students of the Army Pu-blic School, Bolarum.
Campaign drives younggirls to join armed forces Bike expedition by women offi��cers of Indian Army comes to an end
Abhinay DeshpandeHyderabad
Actor Amala Akkineni with the women offi��cers of EME Naari Shakti Motorcycle expedition, which startedfrom Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and concluded in Secunderabad on Thursday. * K.V.S. GIRI
