Prakashi Tomar

Prakashi Tomar
Shooter Dadi
Revolver Dadi
Personal information
Nationality Indian
Citizenship Indian
Born (1937-01-01) January 1, 1937
Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India
Residence Johri, Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, India
Occupation Shooter
Sport
Country India
Sport Shooter
Updated on 01 August 2017.

Prakashi Tomar (Hindi: प्रकाशी तोमर) is one of the oldest sharpshooters in the world. 80-year-old Tomar is a name that makes Johri Village of Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district proud. She is also known as "Shooter Dadi" and " "('Dadi' meaning: "grandmother" in Hindi).[1] She can be[2] described as an iconoclast who has discovered the way for women to live with dignity in the male dominating society. Known for her shooting skills Dadi Prakashi Tomar aka Revolver Dadi has won many medal and trophies in various state and national level frays.[3]

Moreover, she opted for the career in the age when most of the people think to give up. But it[4] was not quite easy as it looks. When she started going Shooting range at the age of 65[5] people, mostly male, trolled her and passed comments like, 'go and join the army' and 'go for Kargil' etc., but these could not ruin her will power. Putting aside the criticism she had focused on the target, which catapulted her to the helm of popularity and set an example for the society, critics and her coming generations. Now, her daughter Seema Tomar is an International champion and people in the village pronounce her name with pride and honour.[6]

Life and Biography

Mother of eight, Prakashi, has 15 grandchildren. She hails from the Johri village of West Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat district and it was only a coincidence when she first successfully shot the target. It's all begun in the year 2000 when her daughter Seema Tomar, presently a well known name in the world of shooting even on the international platform, joined Johri Rifle club to learn shooting. Though Seema had a desire about the shooting but was hesitated to go alone, then Prakashi decided to encourage Seema and enrouted her to Academy.[7]

This was the beginning of Revolver Dadi. In the academy, Prakashi shocked everyone including club coach Farooq Pathan, when she shot the target very skillfully just to show Seema that how to hold the gun. It was the first incident when the coach noticed Prakashi's tactics and advised her to join the range. It was the commencement of a new era for her but the path was full of obstacles. As she was a housewife so going daily to the range for practice was not possible then coach gave her option to come once in a week and rest of the week she continued to practice at home. Since then, she is continuously scripting her success story.[8] After two years of training she entered a competition in which she had to compete against the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Delhi Police Dheeraj Singh . Dadi won the contest but the DIG refused to be photographed with Prakashi Tomar, and reportedly commented: "What photograph, I have been humiliated by a woman"

Moreover, among her daughter, Seema Tomar became the first Indian woman to clinch a victory or medal at Shooting World Cup organised in 2010, while Dadi Prakashi Tomar won 25 championships across the country and bagged the gold medal in Veteran Shooting Championship in Chennai. Not only this, the people, who initially made a joke of Prakashi now send their daughters to learn techniques of shooting at her range.[9]

Family of Prakashi Tomar

Prakashi Tomar married to Jai Singh and her daughter Seema Tomar is an international shooter,[10] in fact, she is the first Indian woman to win a shotgun silver at the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) World Cup and now she has been commissioned in the Indian Army.[11]

Prakashi’s granddaughter Ruby is deputed as an inspector in Punjab Police, while her second daughter Rekha was also a shooter but now she has given up. We can also say that Prakashi has passed this legacy to her third generation.[12]

Achievements

During her career, she received many awards, medal and trophies, besides social honours and the Stree Shakti Puraskar award conferred by then President of India Pranab Mukherjee tops the list. Shooter Dadi Prakashi Tomar selected in #100Women_Achievers in India, nominate 100 women achievers who have contributed to community and nation building as a part of the women and child development ministry’s 100 Women Initiative launched in collaboration with Facebook .The 100 women achievers felicitated by the President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan in 22January 2016. She was also facilitated with the Icon Lady award by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.[13]

References

  1. ↑ Carter, Angie (2016-09-25). "Placeholders and Changemakers: Women Farmland Owners Navigating Gendered Expectations". Rural Sociology. 82 (3): 499–523. doi:10.1111/ruso.12131. ISSN 0036-0112.
  2. ↑ Times of India. "76-year-old 'super mom' keeps shooter Seema Tomar going". Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  3. ↑ Hindustan Times. "The gunslinger grannies of Uttar Pradesh are defying age and convention". Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  4. ↑ Yoithen News. "'तोमर दादियों' के आगे फेल हैं सारे शूटर". Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  5. ↑ Revolver Dadi
  6. ↑ Granny Smith and Wesson: Indian grandmothers who have become award-winning sharpshooters despite being in their seventies
  7. ↑ Amar Ujala. "लखनऊ पहुंची शूटर दादी, बताया कैसे एक छोटी घटना ने बदल दी जिंदगी". Retrieved 10 August 2017.
  8. ↑ Nayi Duniya. "पहली बार राजपथ पर परेड देखने आएंगी "रिवॉल्वर दादी"". Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  9. ↑ "Biography of Prakashi Tomar". notedlife.com. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  10. ↑ Dainik Bhaskar. "इंडियन आर्मी ने यहां के 21 शूटरों को किया इंवाइट ..." Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  11. ↑ लाइव हिंदुस्तान. "यूपी के इस घर में दादी प्रकाशी तोमर से लेकर पोती तक सब हैं शूटर". Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  12. ↑ The Hindu Business Line. "Shoot, it's the revolver ranis". Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  13. ↑ The Citizen. "The Talented, Lovely Women of Uttar Pradesh!". Retrieved 11 August 2017.
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