There are many areas in which it was believed that it is only men’s work and women cannot do it. The Indian Army is also one of them. Breaking this notion, for the first time women soldiers were included in the Indian Army. The first female sapper to join as a female jawan was Shanti Tigga. Which was 35 years old at that time and was the mother of two children.
The first woman Jawan Sapper Shanti Tigga was a resident of Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, she was born in 1976. She belonged to the Oraon tribal family. His childhood passed through a difficult phase and he was married at an early age. Due to which both of them got two children, but this happiness did not last long and her husband died in the year 2005. Sapper Shanti Tigga got the job of points man in the Railways on compassionate grounds. After five years of service, he got a chance to join the Indian Army.
Shanti Tigga wanted to join the army since childhood, because her relatives were already in the army. After knowing about the Territorial Army in the year 2010, Shanti signed up for 969 Railway Engineer Regiment Territorial Army and joined the Indian Army at the age of 35. Earlier no woman was included in the post below the rank of officer.
Sapper Shanti Tigga was posted as a point-man in the Railways at Chalsa station in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal.
According to The Hindu, 35-year-old Sapper Shanti Tigga joined the 969 Railway Engineer Regiment of the Territorial Army (TA) after beating her male counterparts in physical tests. Women are allowed to join the armed forces only as officers in non-combatant units. But Tigga has earned the unique distinction of being the first woman jawan in the 1.3 million strong defense forces.
While Shanti Tigga had said, “Some of my relatives were in the armed forces and I was always inspired by them to be a part of the army. I worked hard to clear the physical test. I know that I have made my family proud by becoming the first woman soldier in the army.
What is Territorial Army
The Hindi meaning of Territorial Army is the Territorial Army, which is a unit of the Indian Army itself. In this, from the age of 18 to 42, common laborers can be recruited from civil to administrative officers. It is also called the second line of security. After recruitment, the soldiers of the Territorial Army also have to undergo rigorous military training for a few days. During the war, they were also deployed on front line security. Every Territorial Army soldier has to dedicate two months of the year to the army on his own free will.
Best Trainee Award was given by the President
Shanti Tigga also impressed the firing instructor at the RTC (Recruitment Training Camp). Shanti achieved the title of Marksman (highest position in the shooter) with his gun shooting skills. According to the Annual Report 2011-12 of the Ministry of Defense of India, Sapper Shanti Tigga joined the Territorial Army on 15 November 2010. From 15 November to 15 December 2010, recruitment training was taken from Shanti Tigga. In which Sapper Shanti Tigga stood first. For which he was honored with the Best Trainee Award by the then President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil.
a sad and mysterious ending
In the month of May 2013, Shanti Tigga’s life took a different turn. Shanti was abducted by some criminals on 9 May 2013, after which she was found in an injured condition near the railway track in Devpani village, with her body tied to a pole and a white blindfold tied over her eyes. He was admitted to Alipur Duar Hospital. Police investigation also started, the security of the hospital was also increased. But still four days later, on 14 May 2013, his body was found hanging in the toilet of the hospital itself.
According to First Post, the police officials called it a suicide, saying that the police guards were outside Shanti Tigga’s cabin. While sitting outside the cabin, when Sapper Shanti did not come out of the toilet even after a long time, his son raised an alarm.
After this Shanti’s family strongly demanded an investigation, but due to lack of evidence in the investigation, this mysterious death was allowed to remain a mystery and the case was closed.
