NEW DELHI: Suraiyya has also come to the national capital all the way from the Valley, accompanied by her brother to pursue her dreams. “It felt really nice to go to college and have so many books,” she said, reminiscing about the training period.
The seeds of this dream were sown about one-and-a-half years ago, says Razia’s father Mohammad Hussain, a class IV employee with the state government. “While we want our children to go higher up in life, what we do not have are the avenues. The army has helped us a lot,” Hussain told The Sunday Standard.
The army has been sponsoring four girls to get training at the Viins Training Institute and has spent close to `90,000 per girl. The idea took off when General- Officer-in-Commanding Victor Force Major General Kuldeep Singh gave a go-ahead to bring this effort under the ambit of Operation Sadbhavna in the Valley. Thereafter, Commanding Officer (CO) 36 Rashtriya Rifles Colonel Mayank Upadhyay took it on himself to make it a success, says Hussain.
“It was CO sahib who convinced us to send our children for this. Today I am happy to see my daughter competing with the best of the girls from other parts of the country,” adds Hussain, with a glint of pride in his eyes. His elder daughter is preparing for Combined Defence Services (CDS) exams to get into the armed forces.