Woman commandos on Maoist hunt along Telangana-Chhattisgarh border

The idea of deploying them germinated in the minds of the top brass when they realised that tribal women never trusted male commandos when they were asked for information about the ultras.

Be it men or women, there has not been any compromise on the rigid standards of training. (Representational photo | AFP)

KHAMMAM:  Women have broken the glass ceiling and risen to what is essentially a man’s domain — hunting down Maoists in the thick jungles along the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border. In a first in the country, the Chhattisgarh police have deployed 500 woman commandos in areas with Maoist presence, after training them to survive tough terrains and handle powerful and sophisticated weapons.

According to the State’s police officials, these women have an edge over men in getting additional and important work done — gathering valuable, accurate and specific intel about the movements of Maoists from tribal women, by earning their trust. Trained in combing for the ultras in inhospitable terrain and unforgiving vagaries of the weather — like during the recent heavy rains, when they had to trudge through the slush and mud carrying heavy weapons — the woman commandos are proving to be second to none.

A group of woman commandos deployed in a Chhattisgarh village

The idea of deploying them germinated in the minds of the top brass when they realised that tribal women never trusted male commandos when they were asked for information about the ultras. Usually, as soon as the commandos descend on a village, tribal men flee, scared they would be attacked on the suspicion that they are harbouring Maoists. They leave the women behind as the risk of an attack on them is relatively low.

Intensive training

Be it men or women, there has not been any compromise on the rigid standards of training. The commandos said they had to undergo several tests like their male counterparts. For one month, they were trained in shooting, crossing rivers and lakes, handling advanced weapons and so on. The 500 woman commandos have now been deployed in the districts of Dantewada, Bjijapur, Bastar, Kondegam, Jagadalpur, Kanker and Sukuma in Chhattisgarh, where Maoist activity is pronounced. Speaking to Express, Sukuma Superintendent of Police Sunil Sharma said, “The woman commandos are proving that they are in no way inferior to men while dealing with Maoists. They are swift during combing operations and we have complete faith in them.”