1/13
Meet Col Reenu — Kashmir’s daughter who turned displacement into duty, pain into purpose, exile and expulsion into excellence and eminence.
A thread on grit and fortitude, grace and poise, guts and courage 🧵
#NariShakti#KashmiriPandit 1/13
2/13
Born in beautiful yet brutal Kashmir, Col Reenu , A Pandit girl facing quiet discrimination. A woman in a world that limited and constrained her. Still, she dreamed. Presentation Convent topper. Medicine was the mission. Merit, she thought, was the map.
3/13
But life had other lessons. When her name missed the medical list, she faced her first truth:
EFFORTs DON’T ALWAYS EQUAL OUTCOMEs.
Then came 1990.
The exodus.
From dignity to displacement. Home lost. Identity shaken.
4/13
Jammu migrant camps became home & dwelling. Survival was the syllabus and the curriculum.
Watching her parents -once pillars & foundations -crumble & collapse in silence, broke her.
But their silent strength became her steel.
Surrender & give up? Not in her script or story.
5/13
Medical doors shut . So she cracked & forced open another.
Maths in 2 months. Zero background & no foundation. Zero support & no help.
She persisted & persevered. She topped & triumphed.
1994: College topper
Pain powered and propelled her purpose. mvjce.edu.in/all-news/honor…
6/13
Success brought new questions. Degree in hand. Direction? Missing!
Her father’s nudge changed everything:
“Try the Army. Short Service Commission for women.”
The uniform wasn’t the plan. It became The Calling.
7/13
SSB Bhopal. Zero prep. Coached candidates everywhere. Doubt crept in.
But her father’s words anchored her: “We have no choice. We must face whatever comes.”
She faced it. And won.
Sole technical candidate selected in Corps of Engineers.
8/13
OTA Chennai broke her, then built her.
Books to boots. Brains to battlefield.
The body begged to quit. She wrote home: “Take me back.”
Her parents’ answer changed everything. Her parents’ reply wasn’t words. It was action.
9/13
June. Chennai. Cruel sun.
Her mother — fevered, faint — stood for hours just for a glimpse.
That moment forged steel in her soul.
“If they endure this for me, how can I surrender?”
She chose courage.
10/13
Triumphant & Commissioned. First woman officer from her hometown in the Corps of Engineers.
The displaced girl was now an officer — disciplined, determined, dauntless.
But the battle was far from over!
11/13
Adjusting to tough life of a SAPPER in corps of Engineers. Enduring the hardship of a combat arm and rubbing shoulders with the hardest and toughest. That’s how STEEL is forged in Indian Army. No Mercy and NO regrets! She earned her stripes and she made her mark.
12/13
Old archaic policies. Blocked promotions.
She fought back — in court.
Babita Puniya_ case. Landmark win.
From “Captain only and nothing more” to Colonel. She became the first lady Colonel in the Corps. pib.gov.in/PressReleasePa…
13/13
2024 Uniform set aside after 30+ years.But service? Never.
Resilience Discipline Duty Still deeply rooted.
Because service transcends the uniform
The journey continues with the same spirit, same purpose
we wish her BON VOYAGE . Privileged to have such a PAMPOSH WARRIOR.
I hope you liked the first story .
Please leave a feedback and comments.
We will endeavor to continuously improve.
ORZU and UTHIST BHARATA.......
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After an great response to our first story of th series
We will be launching our second series tomorrow
SHOURYAGATHA: PAMPOSH WARRIORS
This series will have the stories of valour, grit, determination and Resilience of our community members in uniform.1/9
These will dispel the very delusions which ascribe a lot of adjectives to our community about its Marshall Status. We imbibe the Dronas, Valmikis and Vashists but if provoked beyond limit of resilience we can invoke Parshurams too.
hope you enjoy this journey with us.2/9
Our first story in series
FROM PAIN TO PURPOSE: VALOUR, VIGOUR, VISION & VICTORY
Displaced but determined, Col Reenu defied discrimination, decoded destiny and donned the olive green with dignity.3/9
SERIES : VYETH BATHIS PYETH KATHA T PRACHE : (Folklores and Allusions along the Banks of Vitasta)
STORY No 1 : DALI GADVA (Pitcher of Dal)
1/n
Dali Gadva
Minorities all over the world have been subjected to the derogatory synonyms/pseudonyms. This is the planned emotional & mental aggression that the majority community unleashes on each minority in order to suppress their aspirations and weaken their social image 2/n
One such phrase 'Dali Gadva' has been used for Kashmiri Pandit minority, since centuries. The connotative attribute of this nickname given to Kashmiri Pandit community was used to weaken their social image and self belief. 3/n