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Country not ready to see women in body bags: Army chief on difficulties of putting women in combat

HalfMoon

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Country not ready to see women in body bags: Army chief on difficulties of putting women in combat role
General Rawat questioned whether a women officer with commanding responsibilities can stay away from her post for long stating that she is on maternity leave.

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Updated:
Dec 16, 2018, 07:36 AM IST
Source:
PTI

New Delhi: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Saturday said there are women officers engaged in exercises like mining and de-mining operations and also manning the air defence system, but cited difficulties in assigning them frontline combat role. He said that in frontline combat there are risks of officers getting killed.

"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," Rawat said.

"We have women officers as engineers, they are doing mining and demining work. In air defence, they are manning our weapon systems. 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 said.

He cited logistical reason also behind not posting women on frontlines. "Our orders are that a lady officer will get a hut in the COB, then there are orders that we have to cocoon her separately. She will say somebody is peeping, so we will have to give a sheet around her," Rawat said.

Rawat questioned whether a women officer with commanding responsibilities can stay away from her post for long. "I am ready, it is not that army is not ready (for combat role for the women). Will she command? Ok, so now I make her a commanding officer. She is commanding a battalion. 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?" he added.



http://zeenews.india.com/india/coun...-of-putting-women-in-combat-role-2163546.html
 
another issue is what happens when a female soldier has been taken POW during war. Remember what Captain Saurabh kalia had to go through?
Now imagine the mood in the country if a female soldier had to go thru the same ordeal. The mindset of many in the country isn't suitable.
 
Lets have a peace and no one son or daughter have to go through this ordeal. While West is enjoying the fruits of peace, negotiated settlements and settle diplomacy. While we are thinking how many soldiers we can kill of each other across the line. How about we arm the politicians of both countries and let them loose in a stadium and close the doors behind them and let them experience how it feels when gun is pointed at you and you have to fight for your survival. They are quick to send poor soldiers to front line while they sit in the air conditioned rooms. Probably we won't have this debate again. :dance3:
 
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