NEW DELHI: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), for the first time, has decided to deploy women in sensitive areas. They will constitute 33 per cent of the paramilitary force’s constabulary in all its operational battalions.
The lead counter-insurgency, anti-terrorist and anti-Naxal force will post women in moderate to high-risk zones in a phased manner.
The CRPF has 240 operational battalions (2.4 lakh personnel), and women are at present deployed only in five Mahila Battalions, Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Group Centres. Once the decision is fully implemented, one third of each battalion will be women.
CRPF headquarters has directed the Operations Directorate to work ou
t deployment pattern of 33 per cent women in General Duty (operational/executive) Battalions. It has also asked the Works Directorate to create additional gender-friendly infrastructure for them.
The NDA government had formulated the reservation policy for women in CRPF in order to enhance their representation in the paramilitary ranks. The Indian Air Force has already inducted women in its fighter stream.
Insiders think the move to deploy women in battalions that are deployed in ultra-sensitive theatres such as J&K and Naxal-hit areas besides the Northeast, is fraught with risks. Horizontal deployment of women is likely to make the job of Company Commander more difficult as his attention will be divided in taking extra care of the women. Officials said when the infrastructure for the operational battalions is under par in general, women will further add on to the woes of men as creation of facilities is time-consuming and capital-intensive exercise.
“Implementation of the political agenda should be better left to the police forces. Even the Army has not reserved posts for women in the constabulary. The role of CRPF and BSF is different from police forces. IPS officers on deputation have systematically eroded the character of the paramilitary forces by changing the nomenclature to Central Armed Police Force. Policing is a state subject under the Constitution and the Centre cannot usurp their role by terming the Central forces as police,” said VPS Panwar, former CRPF IG.