The CRPF's first woman commando unit of the CoBRA battalion, the elite anti-naxal force in the country, will not only assist in jungle warfare operations, but may also turn the fight against Maoists in their stronghold into an advantage for security forces by winning confidence of villagers, especially women and children who have long been used as “human shields” by the naxals during encounters with security forces.
Central police forces like the CRPF, which are deployed across Left wing extremism affected states, have suffered allegations of human rights violations during encounters and have been struggling to win confidence of tribals and villagers for carrying out developmental activities in the far flung areas.
K. Srinivasan, former IG intelligence, who has served both in BSF and CRPF, said the Maoists’ strategy has been to train their women cadres in jungle warfare but not deploy them in active operations, instead used them in the frontline as “human shields” during raids by security forces and encounters with security forces.
''We have turned their strategy on its head and our women commandos will lead anti-naxal operations similar to their male counterparts in CoBRA,'' he said.
''It will be an equal fight. In fact, the women commandos of CoBRA are undergoing an equally tough training as their male counterparts and will be ready to fight the Maoists in the frontline,'' Srinivasan added.
Srinivasan said deploying women commandos to counter the Maoists will also dampen the long standing narrative of alleged human rights violations by security forces during anti-naxal operations and facilitate developmental works in naxal infested areas as the public response to women personnel has always been more encouraging.
''We have seen in the border areas that people are more receptive to women personnel in security forces who share a better rapport with people. The women constabulary in security forces deployed in border areas have contributed heavily to border developmental works, collection of intelligence and rapport building with the local population,'' he said.
Recently, 34 women personnel in CRPF volunteered to join the CoBRA and based on their interest, these women in their 20s have been inducted for the first time in the elite commando force raised for anti-naxal operations. The women commandos are presently undergoing training in jungle warfare at a training centre in Rachi and will be sent to Chattisgarh, Jharkhand and other Maoist affected states for deployment once their three-month training is completed.
