Meet Anita, Reena and Laxmi: Women who joined BSF after their husbands were martyred

Even in this day and age, in India, there is a certain stigma attached to being a widow. But the good thing is that women are trying to overcome such prejudices. The story of three women, wives of men who were martyred protecting in the country, comes as a breath of fresh air. They joined the Border Security Force (BSF) after their husbands were martyred. [caption id=“attachment_2387862” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. AFP[/caption] Forty-year-old resident of Uttarakhand Reena Singh decided to change her life after her husband was killed in a border ceasefire violation in Tripura. She left her three children and went through a training course to join the BSF. Another woman Anita showed the same courage when she lost her husband in a Naxalite attack in Chhattisgarh. According to Storypick, “When she expressed her desire of joining the BSF to her in-laws, they showered her with a lot of positive reinforcement. She went to the camp and marched out in uniform in front of her in-laws. Even though leaving her kids behind in another city and going for the training camp was a difficult task for her, the sense of accomplishment, after the training was over, is tremendously motivating for her.” Thirty six-year-old Laxmi too has such an inspiring story. According to Storypick, her husband had died of an illness while serving in the National Security Guard (NSG). Laxmi didn’t want her husband’s death to affect her child’s future and hence chose to be a part of the BSF to earn her living. Read the entire story about these inspiring and brave women here.