Chandigarh, India – Have you ever heard about the secret and immensely challenging life story of a soldier’s wife? And if this narrative encompasses the life stories of many different wives of Indian soldiers, it becomes even more extraordinary. So, let us meet a brave homemaker—Vandana Yadav, the wife of a retired Army officer—who has authored a book titled Sainik Patniyon Ki Katha Aur Vyatha (The Stories and Struggles of Soldiers’ Wives).
The Amazon link is provided here.
If you enjoy reading tales of the Indian Army’s valor, reading such stories without understanding the untouched and challenging lives of their families would fail to fully capture the magnitude of their sacrifice. You will discover that, in reality, it is these brave wives—who may never set foot on the battlefield—who constantly struggle to keep their families stable and ensure their needs are met. In a sense, they act as unsung “single mothers” and daughters; they step into the role of a father for their soldier-husbands’ children, and into the role of a son for their husbands’ parents.
A large number of people participated in a book discussion held on May 6th at ‘The Hedgehog Café’ in Chandigarh. The event focused primarily on the book Sainik Patniyon Ki Katha Aur Vyatha (The Stories and Struggles of Soldiers’ Wives). The book’s editor, Vandana Yadav, was present alongside the contributing authors—Bally Singha, Aninder Mann, and Captain Sukhjit Sanewal—to discuss the work. The event was successfully moderated by Shivani Yadav.
A large gathering comprising soldiers, military families, and prominent citizens of the city attended the event. During the interactive Q&A session, many members of the audience posed challenging questions regarding the intricacies of military family life. The responses, drawn from the speakers’ personal lives and literary experiences, truly made that evening a memorable one. Speaking about her extensive life experiences, Bally Singha remarked that she is both a soldier’s daughter and a soldier’s wife. She recalled her experiences at the India-Pakistan border during a time when barbed-wire fencing had not yet been erected between the two nations. She also shared anecdotes from her various postings, both within India and abroad.
Aninder (Anu) Mann spoke about adapting to linguistic differences while stationed in diverse regions; she also shared her experiences of managing family responsibilities and overseeing her children’s education while living apart from her husband during his active military service. Captain Sukhjit Sanewal belongs to the first batch of female officers in the Indian Army. In her book, she chronicles her journey from being an army officer herself to becoming a soldier’s wife—experiences she also shared with the audience during the evening’s event.
Vandana Yadav, the editor of Sainik Patniyon Ki Katha Aur Vyatha (The Tales and Tribulations of Soldiers’ Wives), noted that this is the second volume in the series she has edited. She explained that while diary entries were received from across India, she did not wish to include merely generic narratives. Given that the book serves as a compilation of diaries penned by soldiers’ wives, it was deemed crucial to document the unique and distinct experiences inherent to this specific way of life. Consequently, only a select few diaries—chosen from among all the submissions received—were included in this volume.
Attendees at the event included Dr. Ranjana Malik (former President of AWWA), General I. S. Singha, Brigadier C. P. S. Pasricha and Mrs. Pasricha, Brigadier Maninder Deep Singh Mann, Brigadier T. P. S. Wadhwa, and Colonel P. K. Yadav, Captain Monisha Bakshi, Kusum Nehra, Dr. Chandra Trikha, Dr. Vijendra Yadav, Kripa Sindhu Yadav, Rajiv Ranjan, Chandi Prasad, Anjali Kamra, Jaswinder Kaur, Colonel Ashok Kumar, Omprakash Yadav, Professor Ashok Kumar, Deepak Kumar, Vikas Duggal, and many others were included.
