They say life is what you make of it. Every once in a while you come across people who prove this to you. One such brave heart was Sapper Shanti Tigga, who proved that once you set your mind to something, you can definitely achieve it. This courageous woman’s story will inspire you, amaze you, and also leave you with a lot of questions. Read on to see how.
Born and raised in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, Shanti Tigga walked a conventional path during her early years. Like most girls and women in her community, she was married off at a very early age. By the time she was barely out of her 20s, she was already a mother to two children. Things were smooth and low- key for her. Little did she know that her life was about to change.
When Shanti was in her early thirties, her husband passed away. She was struck with grief and helplessness. How was she to fend for herself and her kids now? What would she make of life now? Shanti was fortunately educated enough to earn a living for herself; she decided to join the Railways as a pointsman in order to stand on her feet. She was posted at Chalsa station in West Bengal. The Universe then sent her an opportunity which brought out the best in her.
While working for the Railways, Shanti came across vacancies for Territorial Army. While retaining her post at the Railways, she could apply for the TA and serve her nation. This intrigued Shanti, who had always wanted to shine in uniform. She had some family members who were a part of the Armed Forces. This was her chance, and she decided to grab it with both hands.
In 2011, she volunteered through Railways for the post of a female jawaan in the TA. She was 35 years of age She worked hard to train her body for the physical tests and other screening procedures. When it was her time to perform, Shanti astonished everyone. She was able to outperform all her fellow male aspirants in all the tests. Shanti impressed all with her skills. During her Recruitment Training Camp (RTC), Shanti was skilled in handling guns and earned the top-most position of marksman. She completed the 50 m race in a record time of 12 seconds and took simply 5 seconds less than the males to complete the race of 1.5 kilometers. Her abilities were rated outstanding, and she was awarded the title of the ‘best trainee’ during her training. For this purpose, she even received an award from the (then) President of India, Pratibha Patil. She cleared all her tests to join the 969 Railway Engineer Regiment of Territorial Army in 2011. Eventually, she trained to become the first ever female jawaan in the forces. Shanti had no idea she was making history by doing so, she simply worked for herself and that is why she has our respect.
At the pinnacle of her life, things started going downhill for this extraordinary woman. She was accused of taking money in exchange for appointments in the TA. Whether they were true or false, remains a mystery to this date. Soon after, on 9th May 2013, Shanti was kidnapped by unidentified perpetrators. The following morning, she was found blindfolded and tied to a post near a railway track. She was immediately hospitalized, and an investigation regarding the kidnapping commenced.
Her hospital cabin was provided with proper security owing to the sensitivity of her case. Even so, tragedy struck. On 13th May 2013, her son alarmed everyone with the news that Shanti had not been seen out of her cabin toilet for a long time. On probing and forced entering, her cabin revealed a sad truth. Shanti was found hanging from the ceiling, lifeless. It is presumed that she committed suicide in retaliation to the shame brought by the false accusations. However, her family insists that Shanti was not so weak. They claim that this was not a suicide but a well-planned murder.
An exemplary jawaan, Shanti served well until her last day. It is unfortunate and disheartening that her stellar service was thus tarnished. A woman of this caliber would have seen some glorious days in her life, if fate had not played this cruel trick on her. She did not have a happy end, but she did set an example for all women. Despite adversity, she lived with courage and humility. No matter what the truth of those accusations or her death may be, we must remember her for the good she did and for the glory she brought to her countrymen. She will remain an inspiration to all, and we salute her spirit. May she rest in peace.
