Achchli

The academy at the Johri village of Baghpat is often visited by young girls from villages across the country. We found a group of young girls sitting on the walled fence that separates the academy from the lush farms, enjoying the cool breeze as dusk was almost upon the horizon but the sun was still bright. They were jovial, enthusiastic and bubbling with stories to tell. We were greeted by this cheerful bunch, before they started to flurry us with their inquisitive queries.

With half a brick hanging from her slender wrist by a thin thread, Achchli practices to keep her wrist and arm steady. It is a vital must if one must be swift and accurate while shooting. Achchli is a young girl, who is in standard sixth. She is visiting the academy on a two week excursion with her other friends and a caretaker. They have come from the Mayatu village of the Barmer district of Jodhpur in Rajasthan. The mother of one of the other girls is also accompanying the bunch. Dressed in salwar kameez with a high pony and a smile, these girls were quite excited to be visiting the academy and learning to shoot. They would hop, skip and run around the academy, occasionally playing a game of run, climbing trees and braiding each other’s hair.

Dr. Rajpal Singh, who is the founder of the academy had visited their school and spoken to them about the adventures of shooting, the skills, techniques and the occasional perks that are in play. The girls were tested for their potential in shooting, before being offered the chance to visit the academy. The Principal of the school coordinated and sent a bunch of girls to the academy, where these girls could experience first hand the joys of the academy and shooting. This is the second group of girls that are visiting the academy. Some of them had already visited the academy and could not stop raving about it. A shooting academy like the one at Johri is to be constructed in the Barmer district. These girls come here to practice and learn to shoot on certain occasions, before they can practice full time at the academy in their village.

“It is my first time in the academy here. When I got selected, I was initially apprehensive but then with some support from my family, I decided on coming over to the academy here”, says Achchli. The girls have a proper routine for each day. They all are staying at the house of the village. They get up at six, wash and bathe themselves, have breakfast and then set alight to the range for shooting. They break at lunch for an hour and are in the academy till 5 in the evening. “We practice with the brick hanging from our wrist to keep our arm steady when, we are back at our village”, says Achchli. Life for Achchli is quite different at her home. She helps in the household chores along with her three sisters, goes to school and plays with her friends. She says that helping around with work at home helps build her bodily strength.

“I feel much more confident now than I was. When I am able to hit the bulls eye while shooting, it fills me with a lot of happiness, and excitement to shoot again”, says a beaming Achchli. “Life around here is not much different from our village but I am particularly enthralled by the lush greenery of the village. “We drink copious amounts of buttermilk to keep us cool and hydrated”, so say all the girls in unison when asked about their favourite food item in the village.

The academy has become a place for adventure and fun for these girls. They are learning the skills of shooting, while also making friends. Young girls of all age groups come over to the academy to learn, emulating in a way that it is never too late to learn a new skill.