When we come across the word ‘Commando’ or ‘officer’, it triggers our brain to think only about ‘males’ but we don’t necessarily bat an eye about ‘females’ as we think that only men are assigned to do a specific task. Do you agree with this?
For so long, ‘Police’ and ‘Defence Forces’ were only meant for men as they were highly-involved in tough tasks while women were kept at bay from doing heavy-duty jobs. However, officers like Usha Kiran is changing the way people think and is making us realise that even a woman can succeed in the male-dominated society.
Usha Kiran has proved a real case for herself as a brave officer as she is the youngest female CRPF officer to become a Cobra commando. She is now serving the naxal region of Bastar in Chhattisgarh. She has a wide range of experience in ‘guerrilla tactics’ and ‘jungle warfare’.
People who met Usha Kiran said that she is such a ‘kind person’. She is a former national athlete, who played for Delhi in the triple jump. She is one of only two women CRPF officers who work in Bastar. For her, duty and responsibility come ahead of anything else.
Hailing from a Gurugram-based family with some link to the CRPF, her grandfather and father were ex-personnel. Usha said that the villagers in the vicinity feel safe and comforted by her presence.
In a recent report published in the Hindustan Times, she says, “I talk to the women. They are scared of male cops and officers. But with me, they are more relaxed.”
She has been nicknamed ‘Lady Singham’. During her off-duty hours, she assists school-going girls with their studies in her camp at Chattisgarh’s forested areas.
She works beyond the call of duty to connect security forces and tribal people. Usha Kiran is also awarded with the ‘Young Achiever of the Year’ award by the Vogue Women Of The Year 2018 for her fruitful contributions.