SC order will uplift women across country not just in Army: Officers
Women Army officers on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court order directing the Centre to grant them permanent commission, saying it will help in uplifting women across the country and not just in the armed forces.
Talking to reporters outside the court premises here after the SC order, a woman officer, who was accompanied by some other women colleagues from the Army, said whoever qualifies for the job should be given the opportunity to command.
The SC order, which has to be implemented within three months, will uplift women across the country and not just those in the Army, she said.
“Commanding cannot be done rightaway. It needs training. So give them training and whoever fits the benchmark, should be given the opportunity. As per the Supreme Court ruling, the order will be applied on all serving women officers,” the officer said.
Advocate Meenakshi Lekhi, who appeared for women officers, said the apex court judgment has given equal rights to the women officers as their male counterparts.
She said a long-pending right has been given to women officers through this order.
“The sky is virtually the limit,” Lekhi said, adding the top court has also made some observations on how the army authorities have been “misleading” the court on the issue.
“It is a fantastic decision by the Court. The PM’s political will has been implemented. Now, the court has implemented it and the authorities
It is a fantastic decision by the Court. The PM’s political will has been implemented. Now, the court has implemented it and authorities which weren’t implementing it have got flak –Meenakshi Lekhi
which were not implementing it have got flak,” she said.
The top court termed “disturbing” the Centre’s argument of physiological limitations and social norms for denying women officers command posts and said there will not be any absolute bar on giving them command postings.
It also said women officers in the past have brought laurels to the country and a change of mindset is required on the part of the government to put an end to gender bias in the armed forces.
The Congress welcomed the Supreme Court verdict, with Rahul Gandhi alleging the BJP government disrespected Indian women by arguing in court that they did not deserve command posts as they were inferior to men.
It termed the verdict a “victory” for every citizen who believes in equality bereft of sexes and a “defeat and rejection” of the Narendra Modi government and its “myopic thinking and thought process dating back to the 17th century”.
While Gandhi lauded the women for standing up and proving the government wrong, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the verdict has opened new vistas and new doors to India’s daughters and urged Prime Minister Modi to not wait for three months and implement it immediately.
Their attack on the BJP government came after the Supreme Court opened the way for women in command positions in the Army and directed the Centre to grant permanent commission to all women officers within three months, while calling for an end to gender bias in the armed forces.
“The government disrespected every Indian woman, by arguing in the SC that women Army officers didn’t deserve command posts or permanent service because they were inferior to men,” Gandhi said on Twitter. He also attached to his tweet a news report of the apex court’s judgment in the matter.