In our quest to applaud inspiring souls, here we are celebrating the undying spirit of Priya Semwal. Priya Semwal, who joined the Indian Army to honor her martyred husband and became the first Army Jawan’s wife to join as an officer in the armed forces.
In 2006, Priya Semwal married Mr. Naik Amit Sharma, who was serving the army. When she tied the knot, Priya was a first-year undergraduate student. Rather than letting Priya busy with household chores, he encouraged her to continue studying.
In the next few years, Semwal studied hard and completed her graduation. Post which, she pursued an MSc in Mathematics, and also went on to attain a B.Ed degree. Meanwhile, the loving couple was also blessed with a baby girl, Khwahish.
In the year 2012, while Priya began tutoring students in a private coaching institute in Dehradun, Naik Amit Sharma was serving with the 14 Rajput regiments in Arunachal Pradesh. In a cruel twist of events, Mr. Naik martyred in a counter-insurgency operation near Tawang.
The news of losing her husband shattered Semwal’s life. She was not only bearing the pain of the loss of her husband but was also worried about her daughter’s future. It was then Colonel Arun Agarwal, who was the commanding officer of the unit where Naik Sharma served, who advised her to join the Armed Forces.
While sharing the details, Colonel mentioned to a portal.
“When I learnt Amit had encouraged her to complete a degree and then PG (post-graduation), I thought she should become an officer. She was qualified, and I felt that she will do it. Initially, she had some apprehensions, but once she was convinced, there was no turning back. Probably, this is the first time an Army jawan’s wife has become an officer in India,”
Sadly, the decision to join the forces didn’t sit right with her family. Initially, her family resisted her decision but later they agreed. Semwal’s brother told the sources,
“Though there was hesitation initially, she wanted to face it and become an officer, and we supported her. We are very proud of it now.”
Priya worked really hard and cleared the CDS exam and the subsequent SSB. She then underwent training at OTA Chennai for almost a year, post which she was inducted into the Indian Army as a commissioned officer.
To witness this inspiring moment, Colonel Agarwal was also present. In response to her commendable feat, (then) OTA commandant Lieutenant General SS Jog had said,
“Priya’s story is unprecedented. It’s the biggest tribute she could pay to her martyred husband and the greatest service she could render to our nation.”
At IFORHER, we are in awe of Priya’s courage and hope her undying courage to beat her circumstances will give inspiration to many souls, who are struggling with life challenges.