Major Priya Jhingan, Major Priya Jhingan Leadership Academy

Major Priya, you have broken the glass ceiling on numerous occasions when it comes to donning the uniform. What inspired you to take on such a challenging unknown initiative? Is it still a challenge today to join the defence services?
I had always been inspired and fascinated with the uniform. It has always been associated with rectitude, courage, and integrity and these were the qualities I wanted to imbibe in myself too. I never intended to break any glass ceilings; it was always about fulfilling the desire to be a part of the elite group of soldiers who had the privilege of donning the uniform.
Yes, it is a challenge to join the services because it is difficult to define and thus project the set of qualities that the Service Selection Board looks for. Times have changed and with a comfortable and luxurious lifestyle and opportunities offered by the civil street, it is difficult to find candidates who are inclined towards choosing a challenging, demanding, and hard life. You see, joining the defence forces comes from passion and is not about finding a job.

What are the major learnings you carry from your tenure in the Indian Army?
Every single day during my days in the Army had something to teach me. Be it humility, tenacity, perseverance, or integrity. Every trial and tribulation was followed by a lesson to remember for a lifetime. One of the most important lessons that I learned was to become reliable. If I have been entrusted with a job then no matter what it takes, I must execute it to the best of my ability. There are no excuses, no explanations, and definitely no justifications for not accomplishing it.
The second important lesson that I learned was that there is no such term as 'fatigue.' Our body has far more capability and potential than what we have imagined. It can go without sleep, food, and rest for a very long time but because one has never challenged it, one feels tired or sleepy once the day is through. There were certain incidents in the Army when I realised that it is willpower and determination that keep one going and not the muscle and strength of the body.
And the most important one is that you can never command respect if you do not give respect. This theory doesn't apply in the Army alone, it plays an important part in our daily lives across the board. If you do not treat your colleagues, juniors, friends, or partners with respect, they will have no respect for you either. They may pretend and show deference to you because of your stature or position but their hearts will always be devoid of that feeling. No one ever remains in a position of power forever, and when you are on your way down, you will meet all those who helped you go up, then see how many show respect to you at that stage. Their response will define whether you commanded respect or you earned it.

Being a legal expert and a woman activist, what would be your message to women on their legal rights?
Women in our country are brought up to learn to ignore or rather undervalue the legal rights given to them. They are taught at a very early age that a woman's role is to endure, suffer, and close an eye to most evils against her. Of course, there have been admirable epic characters like Draupadi and Rani Laxmibai, who went against these norms, and yes, there is a paradigm shift in the thought process of the contemporary generation, but there is still a vast gap between what is and what should be. The teachings of sacrifice, forgiveness, and dharma have been instilled very deeply into the minds of women. Education, exposure, experience, and awareness will slowly but surely make them realise that the legal system has equipped them with everything they need to not only protect them but to support and strengthen them too. It will take some time but eventually, it is inevitable for them to utilise their legal rights to obtain optimum results.

Covid -19 brought about a lot of challenges with families as well as organisations. What are your views on how to take on these challenges?
It is the way you look at it. I would like to think of the conditions brought about by Covid – 19 as a divine intervention to remind humankind to slow down and spend more time with those who matter. Everyone was in it together and I'm sure that as far as human relationships are concerned, in most cases, the families have become closer and more tolerant of each other. On the organisational front, however, is a matter of concern. There are industries which have completely shut down and keeping abreast, paying rents and salaries is surely a big challenge. Each one will have to deal with it in a way most suitable for them. We, from the travel and hospitality segment, have been the worst hit. So, one can wait for another six months for things to move or one can start venturing out and modify their business and adapt to the changes and some may have to completely change the game plan and roll the dice afresh. Whatever be the outcome, the challenge has to be met head-on!

There are real-life heroes and reel heroes. Who have been your heroes from these?
It is an irony that our real-life heroes become real to us only when introduced to us by the reels. My real-life heroes are Bhagat Singh and Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw. Bhagat Singh had always been an inspiring figure since our history lessons but when I saw the film portraying his life, I felt a deep sense of admiration for his ideas at such a young age.
Everybody in the Indian Army is aware of the heroic deeds and motivational talks of the legendry Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw, but I read about him only after a brief meeting with him in 2001. There was something so enigmatic about him that I was completely enamoured with him. He was The Field Marshall and yet he was so humble, so assessable and so forthcoming. There are many things that I inculcated in my life after reading about him and listening to his talks.
From Bollywood, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan has always been an important part of my growing up, and even to date, I would rather watch any of his earlier films than any other programme on TV.

Students have gone through a tough and very difficult year online. What is the silver lining you foresee for them, having been a teacher for 7 years at the Lawrence School, Sanawar?
If you consider attending classes from the comforts of the beds, without taking a bath and while having their meals amounts to a tough time, then surely the students have been through difficult times! They were able to access the net and stay stuck to their phones and computers with the acquiescence of their parents, only they know how much time they spent studying and how much researching! But I think it's the teachers who have had a tough year. They have had to deal with a lot of technical issues and they might have been under lockdown but they had to be nicely dressed up for the screen and not only were the students being taught, but even the parents were also listening to them, judging them and passing on their observations too! All things said and done, this online year has proved beyond doubt that no matter how much technological progress we may make, teachers are indispensable. Also, the teachers have been able to stand the test of time. They were perhaps the only ones, other than the medical and health workers who continued to work irrespective of the pandemic or the lockdown. They kept the children occupied for a considerable number of hours every day and helped the mothers to maintain their sanity! We all must salute them!

As citizens of India, how can we help our country bounce back to a prosperous nation again?
Fortunately, we are already on the way back to normalcy but prosperity is a long way to go. Our economy will take time to stabilise and as individuals, there is little that we can do about it. What we can do is to remember the lessons that nature tried to teach us during this year. It taught us that we are all vulnerable to the effects of the causes that we have created. There is no urgency to gather in public places, to have grand weddings, to eat out, to travel, to celebrate with others; we have families waiting for us at home. It taught us the value of our loved ones and that caring for them means spending time with them and not just spending money on them! I think sticking to the very basics of wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing and washing our hands regularly is all that we can do for the time being.

Resilience and adaptability are the new buzzwords. How do you think the common man who was affected the most in difficult times looks at these requirements in life?
The common man does not look at these requirements in life, he has lived them. It was the common man who walked miles and miles to reach his village, it was the common man who lost his livelihood and was unable to buy the basic necessities and yet he bounced back stronger and more capable. They had no choice but to be resilient and adapt to the changing circumstances. I know of a movie maker who opened a vegetable shop and an IT employee who started a street food stall after she lost her job. Maids, drivers, gardeners, labourers, plumbers, electricians; everyone was affected, but now it seems that all of them are back again, with renewed energy, faith and hope. They have proved all over again that tough times don't last but tough people do.

"One Finds Limits By Pushing Them"- Herbert Simon

"One Finds Limits By Pushing Them"
- Herbert Simon