Friday, January 14, 2011

Women empowerment : Fazilka girls make it to armed forces

Chander Parkash/TNS
Fazilka, January 13

If given a chance, girls can make a mark in different fields! This is what the eves hailing from this town, have proved by joining the armed and police forces.

"So far, we have found a number of women hailing from Fazilka, have been serving in different security forces, educational institutions and making waves in the Bollywood and Indian television. Some of them have carved a niche for themselves in their respective fields," said Navdeep Asija, secretary (Administration), Graduate Welfare Association Fazilka (GWAF). These included Meeran Chadha Borwankar, IPS, first woman police commissioner of India, Nitu Bhattacharya (Thatai), Commandant, 88 Female Battalion (head of only women battalion in the country), Amrita Brar, PPS, AIG, Punjab Police and Lt Gurpreet Toor, Army Medical Corps and winner of the prestigious President's gold medal.

Other women, who have earned a place for themselves include Pushpa Hans, a noted actress and folk singer of yesteryear who has been given the Padam Shri, Mandira Bedi, a model, actress and television presenter and Shiju Kataria, a TV actress, he pointed out.

"This town became the first in Punjab where special functions are organised to celebrate Lohri on the birth of the girl child. This initiative was taken by a local NGO floated by the Sarhad Kesri newspaper about four years ago," he disclosed.

He said the GWAF had been honouring these achievers by bestowing the title of Fazilka Rattan on them by organising special functions every year.

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