500 CRPF women for J& K patrol duty

Srinagar: Breaking yet another glass ceiling, a special contingent of about 500 women CRPF personnel has been brought to Kashmir valley for regular security duties and tackle the unruly crowds and stone- pelters, a senior officer of the paramilitary force said.

Srinagar, July 1: Breaking yet another glass ceiling, a special contingent of about 500 women CRPF personnel have been brought to Kashmir valley for regular security duties and tackle the unruly crowds and stone- pelters, a senior officer of the paramilitary force said.

The women personnel, largely in constable ranks, are based at Central Reserve Police Force recruit training centre in Humhama in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir and are being trained in counter- riot and anti- militancy operations. “This is the newest theatre of operations where women personnel have been brought in. This is the maiden team of women personnel in the Kashmir valley. A few years back, the CRPF women troops were inducted into the antinaxal operations grid in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand,” he said.

He said the women, after their 45- day induction training and combatstress inoculation, will be deployed in the valley to tackle stone- pelters and protestors, including women.

It was believed that the special anti- riot wing of the paramilitary force — the RAF — could be brought into the valley to tackle violent protests by civilians and stone- pelting incidents but that was not found feasible, he said. “It was then decided why not induct women to tackle these situations faced by CRPF units in the valley on a regular basis. The women personnel will be deployed in downtown Srinagar,” he said.