“Sophia Qureshi. Naam toh suna hi hoga!”If someone says this today while introducing her, it would hardly sound like an exaggeration.
On 7 May, as the entire nation celebrated the resounding success of Operation Sindoor — a daring overnight offensive that dismantled terrorist bases deep within enemy territory — it was a calm, composed, iron voice that broke the news to the country: Colonel Sophia Qureshi.
As history was being made live on national television, something stirred far away in Bengal — something nostalgic.
For thousands of young Bengalis, Sophia Qureshi was no distant star suddenly shining. Her light had touched Bengal much earlier — quietly, digitally, during the lockdown, through a humble YouTube webinar that few outside the state remember. But those who watched it never forgot.
The world was in lockdown. Dreams were paused. Exams cancelled. Futures uncertain. In West Bengal, a government initiative tried to do something radical: bring hope home, one webinar at a time. It was called a “career guidance series”, organised by the West Bengal Minority Development and Finance Corporation (WBMDFC) under the leadership of IAS officer Dr PB Salim, now Chairman and MD of WBPDCL.
One Saturday evening, the notification pinged: “Guest Speaker: Colonel Sophia Qureshi, Indian Army.”
Yes, that Sophia Qureshi — though back then, she wasn’t a household name. Just a brilliant army officer, posted in Fort William, Kolkata. That day, she logged into YouTube not as a battlefield commander but as a guide, a mentor, a quiet inspirer.
“Boys or girls, both can wear the uniform.”
That’s what she said. And with that, she shattered a hundred doubts in a thousand young minds.
She didn’t come with slogans or speeches. Instead, she walked viewers step by step through how to crack the CDS, earn an NCC certificate, and what it really takes to join the army — especially for girls, still rare in uniform, rarer in command.
Dr Salim remembers that session clearly.
“She was soft-spoken but firm. She wasn’t selling dreams — she was showing the way. That video is still up, still helping kids today,” he says.
It was late 2022 when the session aired, part of a 99-episode series that saw ministers, bureaucrats, artists, and officers guiding Bengal’s youth during uncertain times. But ask any student who saw Sophia’s session, and they’ll tell you — hers was different. She made the uniform feel reachable.
For many young girls watching from villages and towns — places where “army” still feels like a boy’s word — Sophia became possibility. For others, she was proof that someone from the armed forces could speak their language, understand their questions, and answer with care, not command.
And then came 2025.
Operation Sindoor had just concluded. The camera panned across the press room. And there she stood — Colonel Sophia Qureshi, officially announcing the Indian Army’s successful cross-border strike.
Social media exploded. Television anchors choked on their scripts, trying to summarise her poise. But in Bengal, somewhere in living rooms and hostel beds, a quiet group of now-grown students whispered: “That’s her. That’s our Colonel.”
Because long before the country saluted her, Bengal had already applauded.
And now, as the nation basks in pride, it’s worth remembering that sometimes the brightest stars don’t burst onto the sky. Sometimes, they quietly log in, speak for an hour, and change the course of a child’s dream forever.
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