A DOSE OF OESTROGEN MAY BE GOOD

In a sharply outspoken critique of the Supreme Court’s recent judgement on women in the army and Justice Chandrachud’s dismissal of the arguments presented by the army against giving women officers command positions, former Deputy Army Chief, Lt. Gen. Raj Kadyan, has said: “The Supreme Court order on women officers treats the army like a laboratory for social experimentation”. The Lt. Genl. argued that “women commanding officers will not be acceptable to our jawans”, who come from conservative rural backgrounds where their women folk are treated very differently.

He doubted whether women can ever be as fit as men and lift the Bofors gun shell which weighs 46 kgs! He also wondered that when soldiers, both officers and jawans, in combat units frequently end up in hand-to-hand combat during war and an Indian woman officer would be at a terrible disadvantage against a Pakistani male soldier. He also feared how they would be treated by the enemy if captured. He specifically cited the example of Lt. Kalia and asked are we ready for similar treatment of our women in combat units by the Pakistanis?

Lt. Gen. Kadyan also said that in war time male officers and jawans sleep together under tanks and armoured cars or huddle together in trenches. If a commanding officer is a woman this could cause serious problems for jawans. Jawans share barracks and, within that, bathroom and other facilities. It would be very difficult for women and men to share these together as jawans. So just because Israel, Germany and Australia have given combat roles to women, both as officers and soldiers, does not mean that India should follow suit. 

So now here is my humble two bits about this issue:

This is patriarchy at it's best. The respected Lt.Genl. is simply refusing to leave his prejudices and his past and look into the crystal ball. Hand to hand combats were the only mode of combat when Alexander and Md. Ghori invaded India. It was also the predominant modality of war when the Kabeelais invaded Kashmir. But in later wars this became less and less and in future Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deterrent war sciences will make physical presence of the soldiers face to face with their adversaries rare, if not absolutely redundant. 

The Supreme Court has shown exemplary sagacity and is preparing the Army for the future. We need a lean and mean fighting machine which can function synchronously in land, air, sea and cyberspace. We need the best talent available to us and if we choose not to consider 50% of our human resource fit for this job we are not failing to plan but planning to fail. Indian Women are prepared for the Army, it is time the Army gets prepared for them.

Not only in the Army, business too looks like a boys only club. The European Central Bank Bank President Christine Lagarde has on many occasions lamented that had it been Lehman Sisters instead of Lehman Brothers the world might look a lot different today. Male dominance in the banking sector led to reckless risk taking and decision making groupthink.   The combination of male nature and nurture in a group tends to think in the same macho way. A dose of oestrogen in the decision making can be a perfect counter for the testosterone linked aggressiveness. Mard ko dard nahin hota, Boys don't cry attitude often clouds decision making. The wars in future will be won or lost by decision makers and we cannot afford to ignore 50% of our available talent and still hope to win.

Come on Genl.saab, when Rani Laxmibai, Razia Sultana, Chenamma, Padmini and Ahalyabai Holker commanded their armies did they shy away from hand to hand combat? I am sure their army made logistical arrangements for them and they contributed extra ordinarily in return. The nature of war is changing and even before putting a single foot soldier on the ground the U.S. Army had pulverized Iraq. Were they all men in action? Train them exactly as gentlemen cadets, give no concessions, but put no glass ceiling on their career progression.