Captain Yashika Hatwal Tyagi
A name which is pretty enough to inspire the younger population but still many of us miss to recognise. A lady full of courage, dedication, discipline with the sense of service to people. Let's know about the inspiring personality.
Early life
Captain yashika, a 1972 born child in a family who is already serving the nation with bravery. In her earlier life she met with some tragic incidents. Her father, Lt. Col. Sushil Kumar Hatwal died in 1979 when she was 7. Her mother who was a school teacher in Dehradun raised her and her 2 sisters (elder and a younger one). While talking about her father, a brave soul, served many years for the country. He was a part of 1962, 1965, and 1971 (Indo-Pak war) including leading troops in Battle of Chhamb (1971). In 1979, he died after serving as Second-In-Command of 5 Assam Regiment.
Initially, she had experienced the exposure of military values in Dehradun. Her school life was very discipline, she joined scout and guide and in her college she was also part of NCC that foster leadership and patriotism in her which later inspired her towards uniform services.
Way to uniform
After her school, see pursued a bachelor degree in arts from Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University (1990-1993). Firstly,she was aspiring for UPSC to become IPS but a news changed her life. Induction of women through Womens Special Entry Scheme (WSES) was introduced in September 1992 for Indian Army. This entry scheme shifted a focus towards Army.
Result to her dedication and hard work, she cleared the one of the so called toughest interview, SSB (SERVICES SELECTION BOARD), in 1994 and joined Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai. She underwent rigorous physical and weapon training and finally graduated from the academy as Contingent Commander with a Silver medal for being second in merit.
Life as Army Officer
In 1994, continuing The legacy of a family she joined the service as an officer in Army Ordnance Corps (AOC). In a very starting days she volunteered for counter insurgency ops area and got her first posting in northeast as a logistic officer where she was posted for around 2 years (1994-1996 and some months).
During this period she was also a part of OPERATION RHINO in Assam. Opt. Rhino was a major counter insurgency opt launched by Indian army in 1990, targeted ULFA (United liberation front of Asom) and other groups in Bodoland region.
Talking about ULFA, it is a Assam based militant group (formed in 1979). This group seeks Assam independence from India through armed struggle and has been banned as a terrorist organisation since 1990.
The operation involves search-and-cordon operations intelligence, coordination and community engagement to neutralize hideouts, seize weapons and restore amid ethnic clashes.
She served there in her earlier days and become the first lady officer of Indian Army to receive BATTLE REPORT [BATTLE REPORT:- official commendation in a commander's operational report for exemplary performance during active combat or counter insurgency, it glorify the individual's Valour in the chain of command] in 1995, she married to a fellow Indian Army army officer, Col Sanjeev Tyagi.
A Way Ahead
After serving in counter insurgency ops area Capt Tyagi volunteered for posting in extremely cold climate and high- altitude area and became the first lady logistic officer posted to Leh and Kargil amid shortage in 1997.
Operation Vijay (Kargil War,1999)
In 1999, Opt Vijay a campaign named, launched in May 1999 by Indian Army to evict Pakistani intruders from high altitude along LOC ( in J&K). It involves recapturing peaks like Tiger Hill through infantry assaults, artillery and air support ( Opt. Safed Sagar) ending victoriously on 26 July ( Kargil Vijay Diwas).
Capt Yashika was a active participant of that operation. During that period, she was in her second trimeter of her pregnancy with her second child. While also caring her first 3year old son, she coordinated the logistics from Leh to Siachen, secured ammunition dumps and ensured supplies reached frontline troops without breaches. For valourish performance and efforts in the operation, she received the Kargil Star and Opt. Vijay Medal.
End of tenure
Post Retirement Era
After retirement, she didn't take rest for long from serving the country , but chose another way. She directed Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) polyclinics in insurgency prone area Jorhat, Assam (2008) & then in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir (2008-2009) by establishing facilities, managing medicines and equipment, motivating staff and ensuring veteran health Care in challenging environments.
After there, she served as principal of Asha school in Patna, for differently abled children, taught at Army public School, Jodhpur (2009-2012) and also was a administrative officer at Symbiosis Centre for healthcare (2012-2019) , where she was handling inventory digitization and infrastructure across multiple sites. And since 2019 she was focused towards inspiring the new ones to serve for the nation in the best possible way.
Captain Yashika Hatwal Tyagi is not just a inspirational lady for those who are aspiring to join the forces but also for those who are focused towards their goal and also want to serve in country or who want to do wonders. She shows that a disciplined and dedicated personality get whatever one focused and work for and also perform extremely exceptional in their field.
Last message from my side,
You must have read this line
"Universe favours the brave and stubborn heart."
So be that one, work on your goal, be disciplined and focused towards it, don't wait for anyone to help you, be your own motivator, have that confidence to take a any problem just grind yourself, you have the power to get whatever you want, you you just have two realise and work on it.
