The Hindu : All set for exclusive women commando force

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 18, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

All set for exclusive women commando force

By S. Shivakumar

CHENNAI JAN. 17. Dressed in black dungarees, 20 women commandos leap from a vaulting height of 30 feet; from a moving winch, they shoot bang on target. And, they blindfold themselves and wield weapons with ease. They complete the complicated task of weapon tactics in three minutes flat. Three weapons pistol, a 9-mm carbine and an AK 47 are reassembled, each in one minute. Ready to fire.

They are part of the country's first all-women commando force to be set up in Tamil Nadu, which established the first all-women police station a decade ago.

Buoyed up by the success of the training programme for the 20 women personnel a fortnight ago, the State Government has decided to induct another 130 women to form the exclusive commando battalion.

As many as 150 "handpicked" women constables will be put through an intensive 12-week training programme from January 24 to equip them in handling emergency situations.

"The training programme has given an opportunity for the women personnel to prove that they are equal to or even better than their male counterparts. The rigorous training, which was completed on a trial basis, has set the agenda for the formation of an exclusive woman commando battalion", says a senior police official.

"It is dream come true. We always wanted to have an exciting career in the force" says a young commando who has completed the trial course. "Though we found the training tough initially, we could soon overcome problems and manage the schedule".

The training course module will consist of, apart from the regular schedule of weapon handling and unarmed combat, parasailing, swimming, horse riding and bomb detection and disposal.

The personnel who underwent the course have put at rest any lingering doubt about the physical endurance of women. "They trekked 38 km in one night. Their shooting skills have received applause from experts as they were on target even while being seated on moving motorcycles and in jeeps", says the officer.

At present, there are 11 TSP battalions including one in Delhi and the others stationed in different parts of the State including Tiruchi and Manimuthar. The women commandos will be trained to handle fundamentalist and terrorist problems. "There was also a mock shooting exercise similar to the `killing of the Sivarasan (an accused in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case) episode in Bangalore' as part of the training".

The computer skills of the personnel will also be upgraded. Even after the formation of the battalion, they will be given regular training to stay fit for handling any emergency. Where the battalion will be posted and other modalities are yet to be decided. Most of the personnel who opted for commando training are well qualified. There are many graduates and postgraduates and some have completed teacher training.

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