MADIKOPPA (DHARWAD DISTRICT): The success story of Bheemakka M Chavan (18) from the remote Madikoppa village in Dharwad district is a blend of hard work and determination. With proper guidance, she beat several odds to land the job of a military police officer.
Lakhs of women from the country aspire to get into the Central Women Military Police after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s decision to induct women in the military police to enhance their
representation in the armed forces.
Though women are serving in the armed forces, they are working in some limited branches including the medical, legal and educational branches. Bheemakka, who completed her school education in the rural areas, set her goal due to the influence of her school teachers in Veerapur. While pursuing PU Commerce at Karnatak College in Dharwad, she joined NCC and made up her mind to serve in the armed forces.
After her college hours, she used to exercise to maintain physical fitness at a school ground in her village. Seeing her efforts, one of her relatives suggested that she join the Rural Youth Defence Academy in Kittur. She took training there for two months during her college vacation. The guides in the academy aided her from the first step of filling up the forms.
Speaking to TNIE, Bheemakka said, “The villagers used to humiliate me saying being a girl, I am wearing a track suit and clothes like a boy, and by doing so, what I am going to achieve. Taking these words as a challenge, I practiced and achieved my goal.