CRPF women bikers to showcase skill at Rajpath on R-Day

In a first, a team of over 50 women bikers, named "Dare Devils", from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) would be showcasing their skills on the Rajpath on the occasion of 71st Republic Day celebrations.

"Pistol position, rifle position, beam roll, ladder climbing, pyramid and all-round defence" are among nine motorcycle-borne stunts to be performed by the women bikers.

The women bikers, led by Inspector Sima Nag of Rapid Action Force (RAF) unit, will showcase their skills in the start of the parade with the CRPF marching contingent, which was adjudged the best marching contingent in 2019 and is taking part in the celebration again.

Raised in 2014, the women biker team got the opportunity to showcase their skills by replacing last year's Border Security Force (BSF) women "Dare Davil" biker team.

The bikers have been drawn from various parts of the country.

According to officials, it's a proud moment for the CRPF. "It (CRPF) is also the force that raised the first armed woman battalion of not only the country but of Asia," CRPF Deputy Inspector General M. Dinakaran told IANS.

The CRPF has six women battalions, deployed across the country -- from J&K to Maoist- infested areas, to the northeast.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will be the chief guest at the event. He will be the third Brazilian President to grace the R-Day celebrations after Fernando Henrique Cardoso in 1996 and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2004.(IANS)

Tulsi Gabbard defeats man in push-up challenge

Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard defeated a man in a push-up challenge after he asked the Hindu Congresswoman if she could beat fellow party contender Joe Biden in such a contest, media reports said.

The incident took place on the night of January 16 while she was addressing a crowd at a town hall in New Hampshire, New England, according to The Hill news magazine.

The man asked her: "Former Vice President Biden has randomly challenged people in the audience to a push-up contest even if they're in walkers... Do you think you could take him?"

"My educated and informed guess would be yes," Gabbard replied. "However, Joe Biden may have some superhuman push-up ability that nobody knows about. But I would take most people to a pushup challenge."

Then the man joined Gabbard on stage, where the two competed before she ultimately won.

The incident comes after Biden got into a heated exchange at an Iowa event last December, challenging a supporter to a push-up contest.(IANS)

A nonagenarian, Pak-born daughter are village sarpanch in Rajasthan

Vibrant stories of democracy came out live in Rajasthan when a 97-year-old woman, Vidhya Devi, won local polls in Sikar district's Puranabas gram panchayat while a Pakistan-born daughter, now an Indian, won local polls and became a village sarpanch in Tonk district's gram panchayat Natwara.

While Vidhya Devi, the oldest among the winners, wants to work for facilitating easy availability of pensions funds for widows, cleanliness and smooth supply of water, Neeta Kanwar aims to work for women empowerment, better education and health facilities.

Adding more to the stories of grassroots democracy, an MA student Suchitra Gadhwal (22) from Sikar won local polls to be elected as sarpanch in Lalasi panchayat. She is the youngest winner in local panchayat polls. She wants to work for cleanliness and smooth supply of water in her village.

The elections for 2,727 gram panchayats were held on Friday.

The nonagenarian won elections by 207 votes, polling 873 votes. She contested for the first time, she said, adding her father-in-law Subedar Seduram had been sarpanch here for last 20 years. Even her husband Major Shivram Sigh was a sarpanch once.

Vidya Devi says she is hale and hearty and has no health complications. She can walk several kilometres at a stretch, she says.

Neeta Kanwar, who was given Indian citizenship in September 2019 after she came to India in 2001 to purse her higher studies, defeated her rival Sonu Devi by 362 votes.

She received Indian citizenship in September last year after living in India for 18 years.

According to Neeta, her father-in law Thakur Laxman Karan, who has been a sarpanch thrice from Natwara has been her source of inspiration.

"I was given my citizenship in September last year. Now, my father-in-law guided me to contest these polls," she said.

Nita came to India with her sister Anjana Sodha from Mirpur Khas, Sindh, some 19 years ago.

She got enrolled in Ajmer's Sophia College and completed her BA in 2005 and then got married in 2011. She studied till class XII in Sindh and then came to India.

While she, her sister and mother came to India, her father and brother continue to live in Pakistan and are engaged in farming. Nita has two children, a girl and a boy. (IANS)