Cover of Neha J Hiranandani's book 'Girl Power: Indian Women Who Broke The Rules'
Chandro Tomar sits in her house making rotis. Later, she will milk the cows and prepare dinner. Nothing seems unusual about this grandmother...until you see her pick up a gun!
Chandro had once accompanied her granddaughter, Shefali, to the neighbourhood rifle club. Shefali was nervous, so Chandro shot a target round to encourage her. When the target paper came back, everyone was shocked. Chandro had shot a perfect ten! And so, at the age of sixty-five, Chandro started a new career.
She needed to practise keeping her arm steady. 'I would fill a jug of water, and I would hold it up for an hour, lifting it the way I would lift a gun,' she says. She also practiced yoga to improve her focus and threw stones at water bottles for target practice.
When others found out about her new passion, they discouraged her. Her neighbours laughed at her; saying that she was too old. But Chandro stuck to her guns. When she became the star of the Rural Olympics in 2001, Chandro had the last laugh, and soon became famous as Revolver Dadi!
Chandro is eighty-six years old now. She has fifteen grandchildren and ten times more medals! She regularly beats champions at the shooting range and provides free training to girls, many of whom have gone on to become champions themselves. Chandro says that young girls look at her and think, 'If this old granny can do it, why can't we?'
By all accounts, this granny is a big shot!
(1933 - present)
Excerpted with permission of Scholastic India from 'Girl Power: Indian Women Who Broke The Rules' by Neha J Hiranandani. Available at all bookstores and online. Order your copy here.
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