The Gunslinger Grannies of U.P
Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2015 10:20 pm
"Meet the Shooter Daadi!
Prakaso Tomar, more than 75 years old (in 2015), shoots like a pro and puts many a youngsters to shame after having learned the Olympics Sport of pistol shooting at 60 in 1998. In one of her first few competitions, she stood ahead of the Delhi Police Deputy Inspector General (DIG)!
She and many more elders like her sister Chandro, from the village of Johri in UP teach us that a passion can be started and pursued at any age. At the range set up by Dr. Rajpal Singh, an international shooter himself, girls from the village can often be seen practising shooting.
Because of the participation of veterans like Daadi (as she is fondly called), villagers have become open to the participation of girls in the sport. Many of them and the boys have landed jobs in the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force because of the training. The village has produced close to 30 international shooters from its inception.
This is a heartening news for us - as it illustrates :
1) Age is just a number.
2) Change is possible even in the places perceived as the most orthodox.
3) Gender equality is NOT a distant dream.
Here's a video from Hindustan Times on the same :"
https://youtu.be/1t4raLvu9pQ
Prakaso Tomar, more than 75 years old (in 2015), shoots like a pro and puts many a youngsters to shame after having learned the Olympics Sport of pistol shooting at 60 in 1998. In one of her first few competitions, she stood ahead of the Delhi Police Deputy Inspector General (DIG)!
She and many more elders like her sister Chandro, from the village of Johri in UP teach us that a passion can be started and pursued at any age. At the range set up by Dr. Rajpal Singh, an international shooter himself, girls from the village can often be seen practising shooting.
Because of the participation of veterans like Daadi (as she is fondly called), villagers have become open to the participation of girls in the sport. Many of them and the boys have landed jobs in the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force because of the training. The village has produced close to 30 international shooters from its inception.
This is a heartening news for us - as it illustrates :
1) Age is just a number.
2) Change is possible even in the places perceived as the most orthodox.
3) Gender equality is NOT a distant dream.
Here's a video from Hindustan Times on the same :"
https://youtu.be/1t4raLvu9pQ
