PTI
New Delhi, Sep 8: They are tough women who have served in some of India's most dangerous hot spots, facing down rioters and armed insurgents.
Now, 125 Indian policewomen are being trained to form an all-women team of United Nations peacekeepers—the UN's first such peacekeeping group - to help bring order to strife-torn Liberia, a west African nation rebuilding after nearly a quarter-century of conflict.
"The situation in Liberia is extremely volatile, but we believe our experience in handling difficult situations in India will come in handy,'' said Seema Dhundia, the 39-year-old unit commandant, as she put her soldiers through their paces on Thursday in a dusty field in the capital.
India has been a major contributor to UN peacekeeping missions for decades, and has sent women as part of earlier contingents. But Indian officials felt it was time for a woman-only unit, picking candidates from the country's paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force. The unit expects to deploy to Liberia by mid-October.
"Women police are crucial in crisis situations, since most of the victims of strife are women,'' said Kiran Bedi, a senior Indian police official who has served as a UN adviser, and who helped initiate the peacekeeping plan.
"India is one of those rare countries which has a large contingent of trained women serving in specialised units that have experience in conflicts, riots and civil strife.''
Women peacekeepers, said Dhundia, bring something different to conflict zones.
"Women police are seen to be much less threatening, although they can be just as tough as men. But in a conflict situation, they are more approachable and it makes women and children feel safer,'' she said.
"These soldiers have been hand-picked from hundreds of applicants after stringent physical and mental tests,'' said Dhundia.
They are now in an intensive six-week training program, working under veterans of earlier peacekeeping operations. At a shouted command during Thursday's session, the women, dressed in blue battle fatigues, fall to the ground and take aim at distant targets.
At another command, they set aside their weapons to display their prowess in hand-to-hand combat.
Earlier report: