Smriti Irani pays emotional tribute to Dr Madhulika Rawat at AWWA's 'Abhivyakti' lit fest

Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani on Friday apologised and acknowledged the sacrifice and challenges faced by the wives of Armed personnel at the Army Wives Welfare Association's (AWWA) 'Abhivyakti' literary festival. The Union Minister paid homage to Dr Madhulika Rawat who lost her life along with India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and 12 other men in uniform in the IAF helicopter crash. Smriti Irani, in an emotional tribute, shared her thoughts when she saw 'Madhulikaji on the pyre'. 

Smriti Irani says sorry to Army wives present at the event:

"When I saw her in the pyre with genera, as a civilian I thought that we don't spare all of you a thought and when I say all of you, its the wives and the children till such time a tragedy strikes, that you are unacknowledged by us and for that, you have my apology, that we see you only when you step up to take the posthumous honour that is conferred upon your loved ones. We shower you with petals when a man in uniform comes back in a box. We never acknowledge the challenges that you as Army man's wife face. We assume that you have chosen this life but today as a civilian I say sorry and also express my gratitude," added Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani. 

AWWA's 3-day literary festival- Abhivyakti:

Smriti Irani was present on day one of the three-day festival that started on December 17 at the Taurus Officers Institute at Delhi Cantonment. Day 1 of the event, aimed to create a platform for aspiring as well as seasoned writers "to tell their stories, showcase their flair for writing and meet other established authors and scribes" in the presence of Chief of the Army Staff General MM Naravane and the Union Minister. 

AWWA will close the year 2021 with a unique Festival for Army wives, which is another effort to acknowledge and empower our fraternity's creative members, the organisation informed. The festival will bring together writers, storytellers, journalists, and readers from all over India under one roof. All information about the festival along with their detailed schedule is available at www.awwa.org.in