As the entire nation beams with pride watching Colonel Sofiya Qureshi brief the public on India's "Operation Sindoor" against Pakistan, one person's emotions run deeper than the rest - her twin sister, Dr Shyna Sunsara.
Col Qureshi and Sunsara were born into a military family in Gujarat's Vadodara. Sunsara beamed with pride as her sister led the Operation Sindoor briefing and told HT City how woman couldn't join the army back then and even then both the sisters wanted to do so. “Sofiya found a way: She'd say, I'll go through DRDO as a scientist to join the Army.”
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Who is Dr Shyna Sunsara?
Shyna Sunsara also upholds the remarkable stature, similar to her twin sister Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, having several notable achievements to her name. She is a mother, an economist, former Army cadet, fashion designer and an environmentalist, as well.
Dr Shyna Sunsara is known as Vadodara's "Wonder Woman". She also holds the crown of Ms Gujarat, Ms India Earth 2017 and Ms United Nations 2018.
{{/usCountry}}Dr Shyna Sunsara is known as Vadodara's "Wonder Woman". She also holds the crown of Ms Gujarat, Ms India Earth 2017 and Ms United Nations 2018.
{{/usCountry}}Sunsara is also a Rifle Shooting Gold Medalist (President of India) recipient. She even won the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 2018 for her contributions to the Indian fashion industry.
Shyna Sunsara, who is also a model, is recognised for her initiative to plant 100,000 trees in Gujarat.
She had told HT City that neither she nor her family knew that Colonel Sofiya Qureshi was going to brief on Operation Sindoor. She said that it was only after a relative called her, asking her to turn on the TV that she found out about it. "It was not only a proud moment for us, but India. Such a good answer our government and PM Modi gave," Sunsara added.
About Colonel Sofiya Qureshi
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi first rose to prominence in 2016 when she became the first woman officer to lead a multinational military exercise. She joined the Indian Army Corps of Signals in 1999 and is now one of the lead women officers in the Operation Sindoor briefing.
Col Qureshi graduated with a master's in Biochemistry from the Maharaja Sayajirao University in 1997. She is currently an officer in the Mechanised Infantry of the Indian army, along with her husband. She was also the first Indian woman officer to lead a contingent.
Both the sister's father was also in the Armed forces and so was their grandfather. Sunsara had also said that their uncle was in the BSF. Col Qureshi earlier had said that her great-grandmother was with Rani Laxmi Bai, who Sunsara said, is her twin sister's "inspiration".