HARYANA: The first ever 14 women commandos of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) have passed out recently, and another batch is under training. This was the fourth batch of women commandos of ITBP, which passed out with flying colors as the first three batches could not pass the training course.
Now the fifth batch of the women personnel in ITBP is under training for the six-week commando course, which is known as ‘Anti Terrorist and VIP Commando Protection Course’ at Basic Training Centre (BTC) of ITBP at Bhanu near Panchkula in Haryana. The 14 lady constables out of 25 passed out from the fourth batch last month and are now the first women commandos in the ITBP.
Thirty-year-old Veermati from Uttar Pradesh, who is married and was the best in the fourth batch firing said, “When we first came for the commando training, we were scared of height, water, and other physical obstacles. The training as a constable, but training for commando is more difficult and challenging. We have to run for 20km and clear obstacles.”
“We used to get only two hours of sleep in the 24 hours and about 15 minutes to eat. But, we were determined to become commandos. We were continuously motivated by our seniors and family,” she added. These ladies have been trained in unarmed combat, rock climbing, shooting, firing by pistols, carbine and rifles, field engineering demolition, explosive training, communication, first aid, battle inoculation, physical toughening, VIP security, counter-insurgency operations, intelligence, slithering, navigation, jungle operations against militants and specialization in endurance and obstacle course. The women selected for the commando course should be less than 32 years of age. They have to have to clear the Battle Physical Efficiency Test.
Another woman commando Anita (30) from Rajasthan said, “I was not fit enough when I first came for this training. However, I later became strong. Now besides becoming physically strong, we have also become mentally strong.” Her husband, who is also in the ITBP, said that the first week was tough but it became part of routine. Inspector General, the Basic Training Centre (BTC) of ITBP at Bhanu , Ishwar Singh Duhan, said, “This Anti Terrorist and VIP Commando Protection Course for ladies has been started as a specialized course to meet the requirement of female commandos for performing the VIP protection and anti-terrorist and other specialized duties, as a part of women empowerment since all the armed forces have started inducting ladies for more than one decade.”
“Why they (women) restricted to normal duties?’’ he asked. When asked how these ladies perform during their training, he said, “I have seen that, initially, these girls were scared. They felt they might not complete the course but we kept on motivating them... As when they came first they were scared of heights, water and insects but slowly they overcame all their fears, and became physically and mentally strong. As the course progressed, confidence of these girls increased and they became more vocal and confident. In the fourth week of their training, they do operational exercise through helicopter slathering which they have performed very successfully from the prescribed height,” says Duhan.
He added, “We never compromise with the standard of our training, and no relaxation is given in completing the task. We also make sure that they are brought out of their comfort zone.” In this training the women commandos also do heli-borne slithering operations as it is a tactic used for rapid induction and deployment of troops during operations in remote areas or difficult terrain by means of sliding down a rope fixed to a helicopter hovering several metres above the ground. “This is for the first time that women personnel have been trained in slithering operations as part of this course, this will not only aid rapid insertion of women personnel in border areas when required,” said Duhan.