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‘Fought for Rani Lakshmi Bai’: Colonel Sofiya Qureshi on her family history at KBC
Qureshi, along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh (Indian Air Force) and Commander Prerna Deosthalee (Indian Navy) will appear on this weekend's episode of KBC.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi's ancestors fought for Rani Lakshmi Bai, the Indian Army personnel said in the upcoming episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati.
Qureshi, along with Wing Commander Vyomika Singh (Indian Air Force) and Commander Prerna Deosthalee (Indian Navy) will appear on this weekend's episode of KBC, which is hosted by Amitabh Bachchan.
A snippet from the upcoming episode, shared on social media by Sony TV, showed Col Qureshi sharing her family history. "I belong to a family where everyone was in the Army. My great-grandmother's ancestors were with Rani Lakshmi Bai," she told Bachchan.
"I have not heard lullabies. I have heard tales of bravery, and I have listened to talks that tell the meaning of courage," she added.
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The training provided in the Army is the same for everyone, Qureshi said, adding that the Indian Army is a gender-neutral force. Soldiers, officers, and everyone receive the same training, Col Qureshi noted.
Colonel Qureshi, Wng Cmdr Singh, and Cmdr Deosthalee are heard talking about women's empowerment in the episode. The officers are also expected to be seen narrating key moments from Operation Sindoor.
Earlier, Col Qureshi's sister, Shyna Sunsara, had told HTCity, “My dad fought in the 1971 Bangladesh war. His father was in the Army, too. Humare chacha BSF mein thhe. Mere daada ke daada British Army mein the, who later joined the krantikaari ladai. Our daadi would tell us stories of him fighting in the Revolt of 1857 by Rani of Jhansi. Sofiya bhi Jhansi Ki Rani ki tarah bolti chali gayi briefing mein, woh uski inspiration rahi hain.”
Who is Colonel Sofiya Qureshi?
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi was born in 1974 into a military family in Gujarat's Vadodara. She completed her Master's in Biochemistry from Maharaja Sayajirao University in 1997.
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She is currently serving in the Mechanised Infantry of the Indian Army and she was the first Indian woman officer to lead an Indian contingent at the ASEAN Plus Multinational Military Exercise 'Force 18' in 2016.
Col Qureshi also played a key role in Operation Parakram along the Punjab border, following the Indian Parliament attack in December 2001. She also received a Commendation Card from the general officer commanding-in-chief for her work in the operation.
Rani Lakshmi Bai
Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi, born as Manikarnika Tambe, is one of India's most iconic freedom fighters. She led the 1857 Revolt from the forefront.
Born on November 19, 1828, in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi, she gained prominence as the Queen of Jhansi, and later as the symbol of India's resistance against British rule in 1857.
Rani Lakshmi Bai died during the Battle of Gwalior on June 18, 1858, when she was fatally injured during a fierce fight with the British forces.
