BELAGAVI: The press briefing on Operation Sindoor by two women Army officers, Colonel Sofia Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, reflects the power which women wield in the country's armed forces. The duo effectively explained the counter attack by Indian forces in response to the terrorist attack which led to the killing of 26 Indians in Pahalgam.
Col Sofia Qureshi, a 1999 commissioned officer, has served the Indian Army for over three decades, gaining praise for her uncompromising attitude and fearless endeavours. Her extensive years of experience include a number of high-profile postings, with her remarkable contribution to the Congo peacekeeping mission in 2006, when she represented India with pride on the world stage, standing out.
A resident of Baroda, Sofia is connected to Belagavi as she has married Col Tajuddin Bagewadi of Konnur village in Gokak taluk. Sofia visits the village at regular intervals. The couple, who had a love marriage in 2015, are both serving officers in the Indian Army. Together, they represent a remarkable story of love, service, and patriotism — a true embodiment of commitment to the nation.
Col Tajuddin is serving in Jhansi while Sofia is posted in Jammu. Sofia's father-in-law Gous Sab Bagewadi is elated at the success of Operation Sindoor and the way she explained the counter attack carried out by Indian forces on terrorist camps in Pakistan.
Sofia's father-in-law said he was extremely proud of his son and daughter-in-law who are involved in the service of the nation. He said he was not aware of Sofia's briefing about Operation Sindoor to the media and came to know about it from his friends in Konnur. "I started watching the TV to hear Sofia briefing the media only after some of my friends came home and informed me about it. I feel so proud of both my son and daughter-in-law for what they are doing," he said.
He said Sofia had been visiting Konnur regularly and she was supposed to come for a festival soon. "Sofia and my son like eating desi chicken and rotis whenever they are in Konnur as they never get these food items in North India," he said.
