Difficult to assign frontline combat-roles to women officers: Gen Rawat
Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat yesterday said there are women officers engaged in exercises like mining and de-mining operations and also manning the air defense system, but cited difficulties in assigning them frontline combat role. He said that in frontline combat there are risks of officers getting killed. Gen Rawat cited logistical reason also behind not posting women on frontlines. Read more.
'Country not ready to see body-bags of women in combat'
"See, I am not saying a woman who has children doesn't die. She can also die in a road accident. But in combat, when body bags come back, our country is not ready to see that," said Rawat. "We have women officers as engineers, they are doing mining and demining work. In air defense, they are manning our weapon systems," said Rawat.
Not having women in frontline-combat because of proxy war: Rawat
Explaining further, Rawat said, "But we have not put women in frontline combat because what we are engaged in right now is a proxy war, like in Kashmir." He cited logistical reason also behind not posting women on frontlines. "Our orders are that if a lady officer will get a hut in the COB, then we have to cocoon her separately," said Gen Rawat.
Have to cocoon women officers separately: Rawat
"She (woman officer) will say somebody is peeping, so we will have to give a sheet around her," Rawat said. When asked whether a women officer with commanding responsibilities can stay away from her post for long, Rawat said, "I am ready, it's not that army is not ready (for combat role for the women)." He also spoke about letting women command a battalion.
Maternity leave issue for women commanding officers will create ruckus
Rawat further said, "Will she command? Ok, so now I make her a commanding officer. Do I put a restriction on her to say that in that command tenure you will not be given maternity leave? If I say that, there will be ruckus created."
