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Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently paid a visit to Siachen, the world’s highest battlefield an average altitude of 20,000 feet. Watch a short clip!
Nirmala Sitharaman took charge as Defence Minister on September 3, 2017. She became the second female Defence Minister after Indira Gandhi who had served as the Defence Minister in 1975 and again in 1980-82.
Situated in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, Siachen Base Camp is the highest, coldest and toughest training ground across the globe. The Indian Army captured it in 1984 through Operation Meghdoot.
The average snowfall on this 76.4 km long glacier is 1000cm (35 ft) and the temperature dips to – 60 c during winters. Every day and night our soldiers here have to deal not only with adversaries, but also with extreme weather conditions.
Earlier in 2014 the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi had visited Siachen on Diwali. This time the newly elected Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman decided to meet these brave hearts on the occasion of Dusshera.
“Standing just below the Martyr’s Memorial, I feel completely small and at the same time I feel honoured and humbled that even though I come here as Raksha Mantri there are no words to speak about the kind of sacrifice our men have made. This is a very treacherous terrain either in summer or in winter when it is also snow covered. Even now in the various outposts all around the glacier our men are guarding us. There is a thick blanket of unpredictable surface of snow, so they are whether summer or winter keeping themselves alert in a terrain where you can’t even breathe easily,” said the Defence Minister in an interview to DD News.
Feminists have relished the fact that decades after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, a woman has been appointed as the Defence Minister of the country. In practice, the important thing to be kept in mind is whether it would lead to any betterment of the defence mechanism of the country.
The soldiers are the cornerstone of the four Armed Forces of India – Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Their living conditions in the base camps should not be compromised. There should be no dearth in the supply of food grains, or modern equipments to fight back the enemy.
The role of women in the armed forces for a long time, was limited to the medical profession i.e. as doctors and nurses. Currently, women in the non-medical cadre are appointed as Short Service Commissioned (SSC) officers. More recruitment of women in the armed forces of the nation is essential to pave the way for a truly gender neutral society.
Only time will tell us how successful Nirmala Sitharaman turns out to be as the Defence Minister of India. But enjoy watching this video at Siachen!
I'm a Political Science student from St.Xavier's College, Kolkata. Biryani and F.R.I.E.N.D.S are the best possible ways to uplift my mood. A dreamer at night,a read more...
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
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