Eksha Subba: Jack of All Trades
Well said, “You are your only limit”
Have you ever seen a single girl breaking all boundaries of social and gender stereotypes? It sounds peculiar, right….!!
Meet Sikkim’s Boxer, Cop & Super Model Eksha Who Is Living Proof That a Woman Can Be a Master of All Trades.
Eksha is a middle-class girl from SIKKIM…Eksha Kerung was born in the year 2000 (age 21 years; as of 2021) in Sombaria village of Sikkim, India. She studied at a local school in the village for her primary and secondary education.
She later attended the NSS Nar Bahadur Bhandari Degree College located in Tadong, Gangtok for her higher education. From an early age, Eksha had a fascination with acting and modelling. Born into a family of rural farmers, she grew up in Sombaria, Sikkim.
Where other families in our Indian society close the door of dreams of their girl child, Eksha’s father didn’t follow that patriarchy.
Behind her ‘dare to dream’ attitude was her father who believed in and motivated her to stop at nothing.
Born in Rumbuk village in Subba Family, she grew up with no reigns to her dreams and interests. She always aspired to enter the reality television show ‘MTV Supermodel of the Year’, and at a young age, she also discovered the world of combat sports at a local boxing class.
According to Brut1, it was her father who introduced her to boxing as a good way to maintain fitness. With his support, she capitalised on every opportunity and worked hard to excel in whatever she did. Soon, Eksha was representing her state in boxing at the national level.
While chasing her passions through life, this gritty go-getter was also the eldest sibling and sole breadwinner of her family. Upon finishing her formal education, Eksha Kerung joined the Sikkim Police when she was 19 years old. She underwent vigorous training for at least 14 months before she was selected to join the Anti-Riot2 Force of the Sikkim Police.
“When I am in uniform, I am the daughter of my nation, my state and my father”
Working as a police officer, she decided to audition for the MTV show and got selected. She rose to fame after auditioning for the modelling reality show MTV Supermodel of The Year 2. Eksha donned her very decorated uniform.
As accurately stated, ‘The struggles, challenges and obstacles, that it takes to succeed in life are what makes success more valuable. Nothing great comes easy, and nothing easy can ever equate to greatness.’
The same lines are applicable to versatile Eksha, the road to becoming a model was not an easy one for her when she was a police officer and aspired to become a model. She represented her village, Sombaria, at the state-level modelling competition, and gained national recognition for her efforts by winning the title of Miss Sikkim 2018. She gained confidence after winning a state-level modelling competition and proceeded to participate in more modelling competitions.
Soon, she was flying to Mumbai, a city that posed a strong language barrier for someone who could not speak Hindi. Being from a defence background also meant that she was competing solely on attributive strengths with no industry experience. But whatever external factors this contestant struggled with, she made up for with other inner strengths like self-confidence and a will to make the most of the opportunity.
Eksha Kerung is a passionate bike rider who owns a KTM RC 200 motorbike and loves riding the motorcycle on long rides on her bike. Besides being a bike driver, she is a professional boxer representing her state at national-level boxing competitions.
In an interview with Sikkim Express3, she revealed that she was able to use her police training to her advantage in the beauty contest. She also received a standing ovation from one of the judges (Malaika Arora Khan) for being a woman of many talents that commanded the respect of the country.
Education is one thing no one can take away from you. If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.
Among all the other girl’s child welfare schemes, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao4 is the most popular.
This scheme celebrates girl children, literally translating to “Save the Girl Child, Educate the Girl child”. It believes in women’s empowerment and creating an inclusive ecosystem for the same.
Balika Samriddhi Yojana5 is another central government scheme to support girls in financially vulnerable sections of society. This scheme ensures the enrolment and retention of girl children in primary and secondary schools. It aims at the prosperity of a girl’s child and provides them with a better-quality education.
Every third woman in this world go through Domestic Violence, Women’s right in the Workplace, Education, Criminal Justice, Dowry and Economic Dependency6.
The story of Eksha Subba’s rise from all these social issues. The only reason is her family not restricting the boundaries of her dream. At a very young age, Eksha is an example and inspiration for all.
She is economically empowered and living her life of dreams.
Northeast India is supporting and boosting many more girls’ lives like Eksha Subba.
Eksha’s journey stands as testimony to the diverse strengths of a woman. She excelled at challenges involving heights or a display of core strength, and the experience had also lent her the sheer mental power to quickly learn any other skills on the go.
1 Brut is known for its short, concise news videos that typically feature an interview or explanation of a topic.
2 Serving or intended to prevent or stop riots anti-riot barricades anti-riot police squads.
3 Sikkim Express is an English daily newspaper published in Gangtok, Sikkim, India
4 https://wcd.nic.in/schemes/beti-bachao-beti-padhao-scheme
5 The scheme of Balika Samriddhi Yojana was launched on 2nd October 1997 to raise the overall status of the girl-child and bring about a positive change in family and community attitudes.
6 https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1660028
