Young women in khaki uniforms and bright red caps march proudly in a straight line oblivious to the scorching heat at the CMP Centre and School in Bengaluru.
These young women have been recruited as the first female soldiers who will be inducted into the Army in April 2021 after undergoing a rigorous 61-week training. There are 100 recruits — aged between 17 and 21 — who will be part of the Corps of Military Police. While many have convinced their families to allow them into this traditional male bastion, there are some who come from a military background and are following in the footsteps of their fathers.
Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, the Army opened it doors to the media to interact with the new recruits.
Bheemakka M. Chavhan, 19, from Madikoppa village, Dharwad district, whose parents are daily wage workers, said that her entire village got together to felicitate her before she came here for training. She dropped out of a B.Com course and has no regrets. “Within weeks, I have learned about the importance of discipline, punctuality, and how to optimise every minute,” she said.
Just seven weeks into their training, the recruits know better than to let their guard down. They hold their heads high and shoulders upright after completing marching.
Anitha K., 21, from Tamil Nadu is aware of the importance of being in the first batch of female recruits. “We are the ones who shoulder the responsibility of being a good example for the next few batches,” she said.
The 61-week programme is similar to that of their male counterparts and includes basic military, weapons, maintenance and signals training, among others. They also have to undergo a gender sensitisation programme.
Prashantha M.S., an instructor for the drill square test practice, said that the female recruits grasp concepts more quickly than men. “The morale among the first batch of female trainees is very high,” he said.
Eighteen-year-old Pooja from Bhiwani district in Haryana, who dropped out of a B.Sc. course, said that it took a lot of convincing before her family, especially father, to allow her to join the Army. “I have watched films set in the nation’s border districts and have been awe of those who serve in the Army. I hope that one day I will make my country proud from the front line,” she said.
When asked what has changed since the time she got into training, Pooja instantly points to her hair: “I had hair till my waist. I cried when I had to cut it but now I’m glad I did as it would have been difficult to manage.” Some like Deepika from Haryana have taken inspiration to join the Army from within the family. Her father is a retired Army personnel. As she reassembles her gun, she said: “Every day we are trying to make ourselves worthy of the uniform we wear.”