The debate after a suicide of lady officer in the Army seems to have snowballed. If the vice chief of Army has made the statement as reported in the media then it is very serious. The concern raised by Ms. Swaraj is pertinent but the possibility of Vice chief’s statement taken out of context can also be not ruled out. We cannot always trust the media, they work on sensationalism. But nevertheless this is a serious issue. This probably has to do with the fact that Army is quite a closed organization and it is true of Army anywhere in the world. This might lead to prejudices against the Army. Further the life in the Army is quite different from ‘civilian’ life. So it is possible that an ‘outsider’(ie joining after graduation) getting into the Army particularly a woman might find lots of problem in adjusting. It is also true that Army is very much biased towards combat unit. So woman officer who are in majority in subsidiary corps like ASC might find it not very challenging as they had expected (the same raised by lady officer who suicided). This is not true for lady officers in medical corps like AMC (or even ADC) in service. Further the lady officers are recruited for short service. This needs to be changed. There is a need for senior officers among women. It need to be noted that every six months, about 5,000 women graduates and postgraduates between the ages of 21 and 25 years apply to join the Army. Barely a fifth clear the written test and only a tenth of those who do are selected. The women officers commissioned are recruited for a period of five years, extendable up to 10. Once they complete their maximum of 10 years of service - while still in their early to mid-30s - the women are expected to retire with only their savings and provident fund accumulations. So there is always a looming insecurity. In their 10 years of service, the women officers can only hope to rise up to the level of a Major. The glass ceiling is very visible here. Postings are across the country and usually in the Engineers, Ordnance, Signals, Army Service, Education, Intelligence, Legal Branch or EME (Electrical and Mechanical Engineering) Corps. Says Captain Geeta Gawali, the first person in her family to join the Defence Services, "Most women who come here have a sports-oriented outlook or a National Cadet Corps background. A greater percentage of the men who join do so because they view the Army as a secure career option. Most women, on the other hand, come looking for adventure, to do something different." According to Gawali, discrimination is not an issue. "Even when we are posted at all-male stations, there is no difference. Only if we think and behave differently will we be treated differently. Otherwise, we are all the same." The above quotes (and photo) taken from an article by Lalitha Sridhar posted in sept 2002 in boloji.com She further writes…… Women officers take salutes, bark orders and pack a commanding punch into their slight frames. But the looming specter of discrimination is barely seen behind the veil of formal correctness. Says one woman officer who does not wish to be named, "It is the gentlemen cadets who feel discriminated against. We earn the same pay but do not train for as long or as hard. There is resentment, and it is inevitable. Gender cannot be forgotten. Three hundred-odd years of male attitudes cannot change so fast, but Army ethics include respect for women, which is a help.".
Army to my knowledge is extremely mannered to women, how much of that is cosmetic is debatable, but army still is better place for women. Harassment charges need to be taken in larger context of society we live in. Further lets not go into the way Generals (or senior officers) in the Army speak. They might sound arrogant but that needn’t be taken on face value. Its part of their training or shall we say culture of Army. They tend to speak with lots of surety (and a booming voice) so a ‘civilian’ in TV studios will rightly be appalled. Army works in a very strong hierarchy (strong is an understatement here!). They are not used to be spoken back. That is how they work. That is how any Army anywhere in the world work. The issue is quite complex.
Indian Army has been wonderfully subdued to civilian authority unlike many of our neighbors as also many countries in the world. That speaks of high level of discipline and responsible behaviour. Their contribution in case of national calamities is significant. It is also true that Army provides all the comfort and opportunity to grow to its members. However a closed system can also create scope for secrecy and intrigue; it can sometimes go real dirty; with absolute authority responsibility can be the casualty. Overall one can say despite all the problems it faces, Army is definitely a challenging place to be in. Like any system it has its problem. In a world sadly divided by borders and fiercely guarded, humans are always the causality.
Almost a decade back I had the opportunity to interview lady Army Officers for a magazine I was working for, at Sena bhavan in Delhi. It was after a long procedure. And the two officers I interviewed really liked to be part of the Army and considered it an honor. Says Major R S Gill (in boloji.com), who supervises the women's training: "Women stepping into a man's world are more motivated, dedicated and determined to prove a point. They are excellent assets, no matter where they are deployed." A tribute to the modern Army woman. Lt. Gen Pattabhiraman is in serious trouble of his own making. An unconditional apology is needed.
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Indian Army has been wonderfully subdued to civilian authority unlike many of our neighbors as also many countries in the world. That speaks of high level of discipline and responsible behaviour. Their contribution in case of national calamities is significant. It is also true that Army provides all the comfort and opportunity to grow to its members. However a closed system can also create scope for secrecy and intrigue; it can sometimes go real dirty; with absolute authority responsibility can be the casualty. Overall one can say despite all the problems it faces, Army is definitely a challenging place to be in. Like any system it has its problem. In a world sadly divided by borders and fiercely guarded, humans are always the causality.
Almost a decade back I had the opportunity to interview lady Army Officers for a magazine I was working for, at Sena bhavan in Delhi. It was after a long procedure. And the two officers I interviewed really liked to be part of the Army and considered it an honor. Says Major R S Gill (in boloji.com), who supervises the women's training: "Women stepping into a man's world are more motivated, dedicated and determined to prove a point. They are excellent assets, no matter where they are deployed." A tribute to the modern Army woman. Lt. Gen Pattabhiraman is in serious trouble of his own making. An unconditional apology is needed.
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Yesterday I had this misfortune to see an ‘interview’ in one the TV channels (I feel quite bad not having access to BBC). Devil’s Advocate is what the program titled. And sure enough they were screaming at each other. The industrialist who is in the news for getting into Rajya Sabha (poor ZK tch tch…no seat so far!!. We have not heard last on this….our man is sufficiently thickskinned) was quite a match to our boy. At one point they were screaming on each others throat wherein one was saying I studied in Oxford other was saying I in Harvard ‘which is better than oxford’. Ladies n gentlemen that is interview for you!!. This is when I switched off my TV. Well I have less money and no fame (god save) but I can safely say that I am much better off than any of these insecure nuisance. Springsteen said "57 Channels and Nothing On ". Wasteland all.
So Ghana did a Cameroon ……..it is a goooooooooooooooaaaaaal!!!!, Mr. Kofi Annan must have enjoyed. I happen to read his column on the eve of first match of Ghana. There are more members in FIFA than in UN. Beat that one!!!.
