Have You Met Dr Shyna Sunsara, Beauty Queen Twin Of Operation Sindoor’s Col Sofiya Qureshi?
As the entire nation beams with pride watching Colonel Sofiya Qureshi deliver the public briefing on India's "Operation Sindoor" against Pakistan, no one feels the weight of emotion more deeply than her twin sister, Dr Shyna Sunsara.
Born into a military family in Vadodara, Gujarat, both Sofiya and Shyna were drawn to a life of service from a young age.
In an interview with HT City, Sunsara told how, at a time when women were not allowed to join the army, both sisters dreamt of doing so.
"Sofiya found a way," she said. "She would say, 'I'll go through DRDO as a scientist to enter the Army.'"
Vadodara's 'Wonder Woman'
Dr Shyna Sunsara, much like her twin sister Colonel Qureshi, is a woman of exceptional achievement. She is a mother, an economist, a former Army cadet, a fashion designer, and an environmentalist.
Often hailed as Vadodara's "Wonder Woman", she holds several pageant titles including Ms Gujarat, Ms India Earth 2017, and Ms United Nations 2018.
She is also a recipient of the President of India's Gold Medal in Rifle Shooting and was honoured with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2018 for her contributions to Indian fashion.
As a model and activist, Sunsara is also widely recognised for her ambitious tree-planting initiative, which aims to see 100,000 trees rooted across Gujarat.
Sunsara said that neither she nor her family had any prior knowledge of Colonel Qureshi's upcoming briefing on Operation Sindoor, according to HT City.
It was only when a relative rang and urged her to switch on the television that she discovered the news.
"It wasn't just a proud moment for us-it was a proud moment for India. Our government and Prime Minister Modi gave such a fitting response," she added.
About Colonel Sofiya Qureshi
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi first came into the limelight in 2016 as the first Indian woman officer to lead a multinational military exercise. She joined the Indian Army's Corps of Signals in 1999 and currently serves as a senior officer in the Mechanised Infantry, alongside her husband.
She earned her master's degree in Biochemistry from the Maharaja Sayajirao University in 1997 and was the first Indian woman officer to lead a military contingent.
The sisters hail from a family steeped in military tradition-their father and grandfather both served in the armed forces, and their uncle was a member of the BSF.
Colonel Qureshi has previously spoken of how their great-grandmother served alongside Rani Laxmi Bai, whom Shyna describes as her sister's enduring inspiration.
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