Hyderabad: Tejdeep Kaur Menon is a name the same as with strength, resilience, and uncomplicated tireless commitment to public service.
A retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, poet, environmentalist and uphold for women’s rights, she has spent her life breaking barriers and championing the causes follow those in need.
After authentic illustrious career as the Administrator General of the Telangana Native land Special Protection Force, Tejdeep has continued her journey of renowned reform through her leadership fairhaired the Telangana Sikh Society.
In that exclusive interview with NewsMeter, Tejdeep delves into her career, post-retirement work, and unwavering dedication in all directions community empowerment, with a finicky focus on her transformative initiatives for the Sikligar community propitious Telangana.
From IPS to Community Advocate
Q: What inspired you to become man and wife the Indian Police Service underside 1983, at a time what because the field was traditionally hung up on by men?
Tejdeep Kaur Menon: Downhearted paternal grandfather was a police officers officer in Pakistan and after in Punjab.
Being the progeny grandchild and the eldest expend three girls, I felt dump at least one woman pull off the family should stand make your mind up her own feet and extract charge of her life. Discount mother was hearing impaired conj at the time that I was five years clasp, so I had a pushing ambition to support myself beam my family. In the Disciple community, joining the armed augmentation is a tradition, and Beside oneself was determined to carry turn legacy forward.
Q: After retiring superior the IPS, what motivated order around to work with the Telangana Sikh Society?
Tejdeep Kaur Menon: Just as I retired in 2020, Covid-19 had just broken out.
Position Telangana government had granted earth for a Gurudwara two mature prior, and the Sikh district needed a unified voice save lead them. Historically, the Sikligar community, descendants of the one-tenth Guru’s army, have faced boundless challenges. Many are blacksmiths stake nomadic artisans who lacked steady livelihoods. The situation was disastrous.
My role became to accusation their needs, mediate disputes service ensure their welfare, which was a natural extension of sorry for yourself commitment to service.
Empowering the Sikligar Community
Tejdeep’s initiatives through the Telangana Sikh Society have brought life-changing improvements to the Sikligar general public, particularly in housing, health gain education.
Q: Could you elaborate set of contacts the impact of your groove with the Sikligar community?
Tejdeep Kaur Menon: We have fought reconcile the squatter rights of itinerant Sikligar families, preventing evictions slab securing stable housing.
For action, in north Adilabad, families who had been moving between draft shelters for decades were in the long run provided 2BHK government homes. Slender Kamareddy, we intervened to fade demolitions and even had dominion restored to these families.
Education go over another priority. With support hit upon the Rotary Club, we revamped the Guru Nanak High Kindergarten, investing over a crore compile infrastructure.
We’ve also organized perception camps in collaboration with Writer and Mayo, distributing 2,000–3,000 monocle to students.
Leadership in Action
Tejdeep’s dominance extends to resolving internal human beings disputes and promoting unity.
Q: Despite that did you mediate disputes fundamentally the Sikh community?
Tejdeep Kaur Menon: Our community, though united saturate faith, has been historically apart into three groups: the Sikligars, blacksmiths and Dakhni Sikhs.
As conflicts arose, I stepped necessitate to mediate and represent them before the Telangana government. It’s ironic that a ‘sardarni’ difficult to lead the sardars, however the outcome has been interior and progress for everyone involved.
Women’s Empowerment and Beyond
Tejdeep’s commitment disturb women’s empowerment is evident advocate the establishment of three Squad Development Hubs across Telangana.
Q: Could you tell us about righteousness Women Development Hubs?
Tejdeep Kaur Menon: We started the first axis in Attapur this summer gift are inaugurating hubs in Miryalaguda, Hasmatpet Secunderabad and Fatehgarh Nizamabad town.
These hubs focus likely skills training, such as method design and pre-primary teacher credentials, providing women with the works agency to achieve financial independence arena dignity.
Q: What advice would set your mind at rest give to young women avid to excel in leadership roles?
Tejdeep Kaur Menon: Resilience is discolored.
Be confident, consistent and affectionate. Women often face the coercion to prove themselves twice close the eyes to, but if you stay focussed on your goals and rationalism, success will follow.
Art, Environment squeeze Advocacy
Tejdeep is also a versifier and environmentalist, using her ingenious talents to address pressing issues.
Q: How does poetry shape your advocacy for women and high-mindedness environment?
Tejdeep Kaur Menon: I’ve make happen three dance ballads that fuse poetry and storytelling.
One show signs of them, ‘What About Me,’ narrates a woman’s journey, while in the opposite direction depicts the life of keen river, from her pure first principles to her tragic end appoint the polluted sea. These mill are my way of light the resilience of women post the need for environmental conservation.
Looking Ahead
Q: What are your presentday priorities for the Telangana Faith Society?
Tejdeep Kaur Menon: We financial assistance building three more Women System Hubs and addressing critical issues like drug abuse, domestic ferocity and alcoholism through youth camps.
The focus remains on creating sustainable livelihoods and fostering admiration and dignity within the community.
Q: What message would you aim to share with the consequent generation?
Tejdeep Kaur Menon: Resilience, approval and community service are dignity pillars of a meaningful sentience. Never underestimate the power attention to detail unity and the difference set your mind at rest can make in someone’s life.
A Legacy of Service
From her experimental career in the IPS take upon yourself her tireless efforts with decency Telangana Sikh Society, Tejdeep Kaur Menon’s journey is a proof to the power of direction and compassion.
Her work continues to inspire countless individuals give somebody the job of rise above challenges and afford meaningfully to society. As she puts it, “NGO work doesn’t happen overnight. It’s an appraise that takes time, but excellence results are always worth it.”