We celebrated International Womens Day in our country not too long ago. On this occasion, as a man from this generation, I thought to myself where is it that we have seen institutionalized discrimination against women in our society in independent India? The first answer that came to my mind was with respect to the security forces. The Indian Armed Forces, unlike their counterparts in the United States, Israel, Norway or New Zealand, for a very long time, didnt allow women as combatants. This, in spite of the fact that India produced not only Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi and other lesser known royal heroines who proved their mettle on the battlefield but as recently in our history spanning thousands of years as the 20th century, an entire regiment of women named after the Rani of Jhansi bravely fought as combatants against British imperialism in Netaji Subhash Chandra Boses Indian National Army (INA), which was perhaps the first army in modern world history to induct women as combatants, and several women like Pritilata Wadedar and Suniti Ghose too joined revolutionary organizations to fight the British.
The struggle for women to find a place as combatants in our Armed Forces has been a long one, but has succeeded. I wouldnt complain of there being too few (the Indian Army has only one female jawan, and I consider her recruitment to be a landmark for the year 2011, as this piece by me about that year – http://www.facebook.com/notes/karmanye-thadani/2011-coming-to-a-close/10150459111203171 – demonstrates), for I am certainly not advocating affirmative action to compromise on national security, and in fact, even in other contexts, I lay great premium on merit and dont believe that 33% reservation in the parliament would serve any purpose whatsoever. I also understand the stipulation given Indian social conditions that only unmarried women would be taken in by the Air Force, for example. In fact, I must say that I was glad to see this post (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=349603658477612&set=a.221968787907767.39874.202363566534956&type=1&theater) on the Facebook page Indian Army Fans (though its meant even for the non-combatant women in the army and rightly so) –
I AM AN ARMY WOMAN
I’m fearless, I don’t complain.
Stronger than you know.
More beautiful than you think.
Worthier than you believe.
More loved than you can ever imagine.
It is also heartening to know that women in the Border Security Force (BSF), a paramilitary force, have been stationed at the Indo-Pak border to defend our country from intrusions, and they are recruited in other paramilitary forces like the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Most recvently, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which has had women at lower ranks, is now recruiting women up to 25 years of age as combat officers. The SSB has an important role to play at the open borders of India with Nepal and Bhutan.
However, the debate about women in the armed forces is not completely over even in countries where women are already being inducted, such as the United States of America. Recently, when the Pentagon announced more avenues for women as combatants, it again sparked off a debate, and I even came across an article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/parker-military-is-putting-women-at-unique-risk/2013/01/25/33d9eca6-6723-11e2-9e1b-07db1d2ccd5b_story.html) by a woman who has stated the following (T)hough some female veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have endured remarkable suffering, their ability to withstand or survive violent circumstances is no rational argument for putting American girls and women in the hands of enemy men. Well, this sentence is rather confusing, for if women can endure physical hardship, then why should they not be allowed to serve as combatants? What she seems to be alluding to is that perhaps, female soldiers can also be victims of sexual assault and rape; but then, isnt anyone, irrespective of gender, signing up for the armed forces fully aware of the risks he or she may face? The very same writer, in fact, also says –
“Arguments against women in direct combat have nothing to do with courage, skill, patriotism or dedication. Most women are equal to most men in all these categories and are superior to men in many other areas, as our educational graduation rates at every level indicate. Women also tend to excel as sharpshooters and pilots.”
She, however, goes on to argue that direct combat is different, but doesn’t elucidate further, except citing the vulnerability aspect, which fails to respect the fact that such a woman has voluntarily consented to the possibility of all such risks. In fact, Ive even interacted with Indian women who are not so sure of whether women can be effective combatants, and I guess the environment of sexism has also seeped into the consciousness of many of our females.
If we stereotype in our own minds women as a collectivity to be lacking in courage or physical capability, then that too reflects a sexist mindset and in fact an unfounded one, for facts prove otherwise with Indian women having played combat roles in the history of our freedom struggle. In fact, I found it rather patronizing to read a newspaper report from a leading national daily of our country (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-08/delhi/37561007_1_head-constable-nabs-gangster) that seemed to make a big deal out of a female police officers competence to nab a criminal. Isnt that precisely what she is in the police for, especially having made it to the rank of head constable? Is this to imply that female police personnel are in general not to be perceived as being brave enough for her in particular to be referred to as a braveheart? Would such a term have been used for even the most daring male cop? And we are all used to women in the police, unlike the armed forces, yet this patronizing attitude.
However, the media alone is not to blame, and there is much gender discrimination in the ranks of the police itself. Women in the police are often not given comfortable uniforms and are often not treated at par with their male colleagues, with the percentage of women in Indias police lesser than that even of many other Asian countries (for more details, one may refer to this article – http://news.in.msn.com/her_courage/policewomen-in-india-a-long-way-to-go; my brother even made a documentary on the subject). I recall a female friend of mine telling me that she was passionate to join the army, even if as a non-combatant, and though her father, a senior police officer, discouraged her.
If we wish to truly convince ourselves of being a modern state with true equality, then we would have to overcome mindsets that refuse to acknowledge that women can be at par with men in any and every field, and equally, those who believe this should not defeat their own cause by seeking doles for women, which will lead to appeasement and not true empowerment.
The author is a freelance writer based in New Delhi. He has co-authored two short books, namely Onslaughts on Free Speech in India by Means of Unwarranted Film Bans and Women and Sport in India and the World. He is currently working on a TV serial on the life of the great freedom fighter Maulana Azad.