Bathinda village rejoices as Reenat is new envoy to Italy

Varinder Singh

Advertisement

Tribune News Service 

Maltania (Bathinda), June 15

Residents of Maltania village on the outskirts of Bathinda erupted in joy after the government appointed its “daughter of the soil” and 1989-batch IFS officer Reenat Sandhu as India’s next ambassador to Italy.

Reenat was currently serving as Deputy Chief of Indian Mission in Washington, while her husband was the Indian High Commissioner at Sri Lanka. As the news of Reenat’s appointment descended on the village, a number of villagers distributed “laddoos” as a mark of celebration.

Reenat hailed from this village where her father and Chandigarh-based businessman Amarjit Singh Sidhu owned land.

“It is a matter of pride for all of us. The entire village is in a mood to celebrate. After all, it is a huge achievement for a girl of this village to attain such a high position purely on the basis of her hard work and intelligence,” said Shivinder Shimma, Reenat’s first cousin and village-based agriculturist.

Jagjit Singh Gill, Reenat’s another cousin based in Kaleke village near Baghapurana, said she was a brilliant student. “She had studied in New Delhi where her father was doing business before shifting to Chandigarh,” he said.

“It is a matter of great honour for our family,” said her father Amarjit.