Women — this word has conjured up thousands of stories, anecdotes, visuals and stereotypes. Since it takes only 153 milli-seconds for our humble brain to stereotype, the recent announcement of our Army chief to open the doors for women in combat is an amazing addition to breaking news lovers. Generally, when a major statement is made we presume that a lot of work has gone behind it. But this is India so anything can happen! All the patriarchal kings and meretricious feminist czarinas will line up to applaud the bold decision but only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has already set the ball rolling and the Navy will follow suit. However, out of the three forces, the biggest and most complicated is the Army. Both in the IAF and the Navy, the system is highly agile and inclusive, not only in matters affecting women but also in terms of how the hierarchy within the system rolls out and command percolates till the grassroots level.
I am a retired short service commission Army officer trained in logistics, arms and ammunitions. I have learnt on the ground that precision and foresightedness are the two pillars on which a war plan is formulated and executed. I write here not because of any feminist streak but as a human being and an officer.
A lot of changes are required to be made on the ground to meet the aspirations and sacrifices of our soldiers in the second largest standing army in the world — 1.3 million active troops.
Let us see how the story has unfolded so far. The first step was the landmark decision of inducting women into the armed forces under the Women Special Entry Scheme (WSES) 21 years ago. The Army threw open the door for women officers in 1992 and today, we have approximately 2,000 women officers, which is a mere five per cent of the 95 per cent male officer strength.
The Army has two major parts: fighting and non-fighting cadre. If we look from outside, the infantry or the combats are definitely the stars of the show whereas the supporting arms are the backstage. However, when we think of dignity and division of labour, both have their own standing in the larger scheme of things. The Army has a shortage of officers in supporting/non-fighting arms of 50 per cent.
I was used to multitasking, working on ground, proving my mettle all the time battling the undercurrent of gender bias, and witnessed a few street-smart people (both male and female) taking the system for a ride. I also shared disappointing moments of brain drain when I bid farewell to highly competent seniors leaving after 14 years of service. I went on to excel in my studies and became a coveted instructor. However, I already knew I was there for only 14 years. Fourteen years because after 15 years, we can be liable for pension.
In the current system, women have to serve compulsorily for 10 years with no future progression as their male counterparts of short service commission (SSC). This is called being left high and dry!
Women officers are inducted in eight branches of the services and to date the issue of permanent commission lies in a sedated condition. It was only recently that the Army got magnanimous and gave permanent commission to two branches: Army Education Corps (AEC) and Judge Advocate General (JAG). The fight for rank parity and pension carries on in the Supreme Court. In this scenario, when we have so many unresolved matters, the announcement that women will be allowed in combat roles is nothing but a ploy to show that India is on par with the world.
Such an announcement should be made only when the ground has been thoroughly prepared for it. Just as the uterus is made ready for the foetus to survive all the turbulence ahead, the system has to ready itself before it makes such a momentous announcement. If we are okay with the fact that officers who were inducted under the short commission officers scheme in 1967 are still dealing with their pension issues and many more 50 years later, then let’s get started with women combatants, implementing it in the same tacky manner as other reforms are implemented in India.
And if you harbour doubts about the capability of women, go and stand at a building construction site — women carrying heaps of bricks on their heads, a child tied to their backs will show the way. A system should be designed to function at its optimum level and women in combat is a big “Yes” if we are ready to implement changes and a strict “No” if we are to be taken as guinea pigs.
(Capt. Sumisha Shankar (Retd) is a creative lifestyle coach, yoga teacher, dancer and performing artiste based in Mumbai. She is researching on ‘Women and PCOS’ as a junior fellowship holder from the Centre for Cultural Research and Training, Government of India.)
