Centre’s stand against command posting of women in Army is regressive and retrograde: Officers tell SC

NEW DELHI: Countering Centre’s stand on denying command post to women in Army on the ground of their physiological limitations and prevailing societal norms, the women officers told the Supreme Court on Friday that it was a reflection of regressive mindset of government to perpetuate gender discrimination.
Senior advocate Aishwarya Bhati, who is spearheading the legal battle on behalf of batch of women officers for getting permanent commission and command posting in Army, said that the Centre’s contentions is contrary to the records and statistics of women officers who have worked shoulder to shoulder with their male colleagues and performed extremely well both in peace locations as well as hostile and combat zones.
In a written note filed in the apex court, Bahti contended that the stand taken by the Centre was unfortunate and to deny command appointment to women officers would be an extremely retrograde step and pleaded the court to intervene to uphold the sacrosanct principles of gender equality as enshrined in the constitution.
Centre had cited male troops not yet being mentally schooled to accept women officers in command units, greater family demands and dangers of being taken prisoner of war as some of the reasons to convince the court that women may not be suitable for command posts in the Army.
Questioning the governemnt’s stand, Bhati said. “Indian Air Force and Indian Navy, also having adopted the policy of complete equality for grant of permanent commission to women officers, it is extremely unfortunate that reasons of women lacking on various counts, prevailing societal norms and lack of combat exposure etc., are being cited as a lame excuses. It is submitted that women have been working shoulder to shoulder, with their colleagues in the Army. Even as SSC officers, they have been working as company commander and leading the soldiers from the front as per the ethos of the Army”.
“As young officers in the rank of Captain and Major, they have been in hostile and combat zone and have displayed exemplary courage and bravery, acting exactly in the manner commensurate with the respect that Indian Army commands, world over. To deny them command appointments would be an extremely retrograde step and will inflict irreparable injury to the dignity of these brave women,”she said in her note.
She said that Centre’s stand is contrary to the demonstrated fact is that the women officers have been serving in the 10 Combat Support Arms for the last 27-28 years and have proven their metal and courage under fire. “They have been found suitable by the organization itself and have led platoons and companies of soldiers and men, both in peace locations as also hostile locations/operations, in the 10 Combat Support Arms. There has never been any occasion of soldiers/men having refused or not accepted the command of women on account of their perceived rural background, with prevailing societal norms,” she said.
The officers said that Centre raising the issues of national security, battle field scenario, capture by enemy is misleading and erroneous as the matter is not about allowing women officers to work in the combat role. Bahti in her note also gave a list of decorated women defence officers who showed exemplary courage in armed forced to buttress her point that women are second to none in discharging their duty.