India's pride: Martyred Colonel's widow joins Army

Mumbai/ Chennai: Swati Mahadik, the widow of Col Santosh Mahadik, who was martyred in a gunfight with terrorists in the jungles of Haji Naka near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district, Jammu & Kashmir, in November 2015, was on Saturday commissioned into the Indian Army as a Lieutenant. As she completed her parade in Chennai, Lt Swati Mahadik broke down and her family members and a senior army officer's wife consoled and hugged her and wiped the tears of joy.

Present on her proud moment were her daughter Kartikee, 12, son Swaraj, 7, mother-in-law Kalindi Ghorpade, father Babanrao Shedge and mother. Col. Mahadik was serving as Commanding Officer, 41 Rashtriya Rifles, when he was killed. n his sacrifice, the expert paratrooper and a combat underwater diver saved the lives of many men under his charge. He was later posthumously awarded the Shaurya Chakra by the government.

Hailing from Pogarwadi village in the hilly Satara district of western Maharashtra, Lt. Mahadik fulfilled her dream of stepping into her late husband's shoes to serve the nation through the Indian Army. A few months after Col. Mahadik's death, his widow stunned her family, villagers and the military establishment by announcing her intention to join the Army.

Swati had already crossed the upper age limit for entering the army and it was only after the Indian Army and Ministry of Defence specially relaxed the age limit for her that she could initiate her new career goals.