The Indian government has decided to deploy newly inducted para-military women personnel along the international borders, including with Pakistan and China, to give an impetus to civic action programmes and counter anti-India propaganda.
Plans are ready to get these young women to talk to the local population and inspire them to participate in government schemes and contribute to civic works in their respective areas.
"These women recruits of BSF, ITBP and SSB have largely come from areas which are either naxal or insurgency hit.
Despite problems, they chose to work in armed forces and have made excellent careers. The government aims to communicate their success stories to the youth and others in these border areas," a senior para-military officer said.
Apart from the Pakistan and China borders, the women personnel will be posted along the Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan borders.
Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram, while taking the salute of the first ITBP (Indo Tibetan Border Police) women contingent on Friday, had said, "they (women constables) will be used to provide security to vital installations, rescue and relief operations including disaster management, perception management and psychological operations in border villages...".
The women will also help the authorities to counter the anti-India propaganda being carried out by India's inimical forces from across these borders.
The government plans to set up special education and medical camps for the locals which will be run by these women in areas hit by naxal violence, insurgency and infiltration,an official said.
The forces have been carrying out civic programmes in areas bordering Nepal and Bangladesh, which have open and porous borders.
"The women can be instrumental in talking to the female folk, who in turn can urge the men to take part in government run schemes and also can help security forces if they spot something or someone suspicious," the officer said.
While the Border Security Force (BSF), guarding Pakistan and Bangladesh borders, has about 700 women in its ranks -- of which 178 passed out last year -- the Sashastra Seema Bal
(SSB), which secures the Nepal and Bhutan borders, has been sanctioned 763 posts of which about 330 have already been inducted.
The ITBP, deployed along Sino-Indian border has got its first batch of 209 women while the second batch of 145 constables is scheduled to pass out in May this year.
Plans are also afoot to raise a full-fledged women's battalion in these forces so that the unit retains its individuality and performs its distinct role, while gender-specific requirements of the para-military forces are
also met.