Current Events :
World War II – After the capture of Keren and Asmara by mid-1941, Indian Divisions drove the Italians out of Eritrea freeing the Red Sea from any threat …. they were then reverted to North Africa where the situation had changed for the worst.
German General Erwin Rommel landed at Tripoli in March 1941 with the legendary Afrika Korps. By April 1941, Desert Fox as Rommel was known was in Egypt and started pushing the allies back eastwards.
Tobruk fell on 21 June 1941 – a major victory for Rommel.
The Afrika Korps was checkmated at El Alamein between 1-27 Jul 1942 and shattered on 4 Nov 1942 …. driven 2,000 km west across Libya, and finally surrendered in Tunisia in May 1943, ending the North African Campaign.
Two years of sterling performance of Indian Divisions:
4th Indian Division (5, 7, 11 Infantry Brigades) fought in every major phase of the North African Campaign, Central India Horse (Light Tanks).
5th Indian Division (9, 10, 29 Infantry Brigades), executed a disciplined fighting withdrawal, held Alam Halfa Ridge where Rommel’s last major offensive in Egypt was defeated.
3rd Indian Motor Brigade. Fought aggressively suffering heavy casualties (equipped with Fordson trucks, limited radios, and very light anti-tank capability). Delayed Rommel long enough for the Alamein line to stabilize.
Later joined by, and 10th Indian Division (20, 25 Indian Infantry Brigades). Used for the final encirclement.
Lest we Forget – the fighting skills and bravery of the Indian Divisions need to be celebrated with great pride.
El Alamein covered an area of 80 Sq Kms between the sea and an impassable depression in the desert 100 Km west of Alexandria and 240 Km northwest of Cairo. Rommel aimed to seize Alexandria and threaten the Suez Canal.
After a series of defeats, 8th British Army commanded by General Claude Auchenlek took defence at El Alamein: laid miles of mines and dug tank traps. By now the Allies were close to their supply bases in Egypt … Rommel had stretched himself.
Rommel had superiority in armour. Auchinleck had superiority in artillery, and his forces were well dug in.
5th Indian Division (Ball of Fire) was deployed around the Ruweisat ridge. On 14 July 1942 the Germans attacked in force but were beaten back after a fierce fight.
Although the Allies stopped the offensive, it was viewed as a failure since Auchinleck failed to decisively destroy the enemy despite possessing a far larger force.
Auchinleck was replaced and General Bernard Montgomery took command on 13 Aug 1942.
With his supply lines overextended, Rommel could have withdrawn. However, he and Hitler were obsessed with taking Alexandria and Afrika Korps remained in El Alamein.
Both sides were exhausted and there was a lull in the fighting. 5th Indian Division was relieved by 4th Indian Division and left for Iraq to recoup.
By end Aug Rommel planned to strike a decisive blow north of Alam el Halfa Ridge – a wide southern hook to outflank El Alamein and strike Montgomery’s rear ….. fuel starvation, air attacks, minefields, and 4th Indian Division’s defence however turned it into a final failed offensive.
Montgomery counterattacked but broke when the Germans were pushed back to their starting positions. Both sides again rested to build up their strength.
The strategic turning point of the North African Campaign was the 1st Battle of El Alamein (July 1942) and Alam el Halfa (30 Aug – 5 Sep 1942) – a turning point is about initiative, not the final victory.
By early 1943, 4th Indian Division had fought in more battles than any other Allied division in the North Africa. It was repeatedly thrown into the toughest sectors:
During the North African campaign, if you walked into the bar of Shepheard’s hotel in Cairo, the barman always asked – which division? If you answered 4th Indian Division, drinks were on the house. The story might be apocryphal, but it glorifies 4th Indian Division – regarded as one of the “greatest fighting formations in military history”.
4th Indian
5th Indian Division
When the Division came under my command in South-East Asia towards the end of 1943, it had already had three years’ hard fighting in Africa. In 1941 it had played a leading part in the defeat of the Italian Army in the Sudan, Eritrea, and Abyssinia; in the summer of 1942 it had been very heavily engaged with the Germans and Italians in the crucial battle of the Knightsbridge ‘Cauldron,’ and in the fighting withdrawal across North Africa to the defence of the Alamein line…when I first met the men of this Division, soon after the formation of the South-East Asia Command—indeed it was the first Division that I visited—its reputation was already high…the Division was heavily engaged in the first land battle to be fought since the Command had been set up…and a large share of the credit must go to the Fifth Indian Division for the first decisive victory against the Japanese since they had invaded two years previously…(the) land victory at Kohima and Imphal, in which the Division played an important part, proved to be the turning-point of the Burma Campaign…The Division continued to fight and to advance throughout the rest of the war, except for one period of rest and reorganization…Its record was second to none and I was proud to have such a fine formation under my command. Louis Mountbatten in his memoirs paying
tribute to the 5th Infantry Division
The passing of Lieutenant General Madan Mohan Lakhera (retd), former Governor of Mizoram and former Adjutant General of the Indian Army in Uttarakhand on June 29, is certainly a loss not only to the military fraternity, particularly the Fourth Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment with which he had gone to war and later commanded, but also to the Himalayan state that is among the largest contributors of officer and men to the Armed Forces.
Among the Army’s oldest and most illustrious infantry battalions, it is closely associated with decisive post-Independence military operations in Kashmir, Goa and Siachen, being the first to be awarded the Param Vir Chakra and the first to entrench on Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield.
Born in the village of Jakhand in Tehri Garhwal in 1937, he had served as the 8th Governor of Mizoram from July 2006 to September 2011. Prior to this, he was the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry from July 2004 to July 2006 and also held the additional charge as Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from February 2006 to December 2006, becoming the first person from the Garhwal region to hold a Governor’s appointment.
An alumnus of the Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun, and the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, he was commissioned in June 1958, and participated in the 1961 campaign for the Liberation of Goa, 1965 and 1971 India-Pakistan wars and several other important operations, including high-level appointments in counter-insurgency environment in Jammu and Kashmir.
As a Lieutenant Colonel, Lt Gen Lakhera had commanded the illustrious Fourth Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment in Jammu and Kashmir from December 1975 to July 1978. Also known as the Fighting Fourth, it was this battalion that was awarded the first Param Vir Chakra, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy.
The recipient, though posthumous, was Major Somnath Sharma, who was killed in action during the Battle of Badgam on November 3, 1947, while repelling Pakistani infiltrators near the Srinagar Airport.
In October 1947, the 4 Kumaon was deployed in Delhi in aid of civil authority when it was ordered to move to the Kashmir Valley. The battalion’s D-Company, under the command of Major Somnath Sharma, was airlifted to Srinagar on October 31, 1947. At that time, his left hand was in a plaster cast because of an injury sustained on the hockey field, but he insisted on being with his troops in combat.
The company was deployed on patrol duty west of Srinagar. On November 3, a group of around 700 infiltrators approached Badgam and the company position was surrounded from three sides and came under heavy mortar fire. Major Sharma realised the importance of holding onto his position as both the city of Srinagar and the airport would be vulnerable, if lost.
In his book, “Operation Rescue: Military Operations in Jammu and Kashmir, 1947-49”, Lt Gen SK Sinha, former Vice Chief of Army Staff and Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, wrote that despite being heavily outnumbered and under intense enemy fire, Maj Sharma urged his men to fight on bravely. Frequently exposing himself to danger as he moved from post to post, he continued to lead from the front. Despite the forward two platoons falling, he clung to his position with the depth platoon.
While he was busy engaging fighting the enemy, a mortar shell exploded on the ammunition near him. His last message to the Brigade HQ received a few moments before he was killed was, “The enemy is only 50 yards from us. We are hopelessly outnumbered. I will not withdraw an inch, but fight to the last man, last round.”
“Major Sharma’s company held its ground, and the survivors withdrew only when they were almost completely encircled. His inspiring leadership delayed the enemy for six crucial hours, allowing reinforcements to take up positions at Hum Hom and stem the enemy advance,” states the citation accompanying his award. Sepoy Dewan Singh Danu was decorated with the Maha Vir Chakra in the same battle.
Besides being associated with India’s first Param Vir Chakra, 4 Kumaon also shares a distinguished link with two successive Chiefs of the Army Staff — General SM Shrinagesh and General KS Thimayya — who served as Army Chief from May 1955 to May 1957 and from May 1957 to May 1961, respectively. Both officers had served with the 4th Battalion of the 19th Hyderabad Regiment in the erstwhile British Indian Army, which was reorganised as the 4 Kumaon after Independence.
Tracing its origins to 1788, when it was raised to maintain order in Berar and safeguard the northern frontiers of the princely state of Hyderabad, the battalion has since participated in numerous campaigns, both in India and overseas.
It was the 4 Kumaon that spearheaded the induction of Indian troops into Siachen Glacier when the Operation Meghdoot was launched by the Indian Army in 1984 to pre-empt Pakistan from taking control of the strategic high ground that has since remained the world’s highest and coldest battlefield and India’s longest continuing military operation.
In March 1984, the battalion, under the command of Lt Col DK Khanna and supported by elements of the Ladakh Scouts, undertook a perilous march across the snowbound Zoji La pass. Carrying full battle loads and maintaining strict radio silence to avoid detection, the troops trudged for days through treacherous terrain, according to historical accounts of the operation. At the time, Lt Gen Lakhera, then a Brigadier, was commanding an Infantry Brigade based in Kanpur.
The first column led by Major RS Sadhu was tasked with establishing a position on the heights of the glacier. The next column, led by Captain Sanjay Kulkarni, secured Bilafond La, a 17,880 feet high mountain pass that is a tactical choke point and vital for retaining control over the glacier.
The remaining columns, led by Captain PV Yadav, advanced further and, after four days of arduous movement, secured the other key heights along the Saltoro Ridge. By the conclusion of the mission, about 300 Indian troops had dug in on the glacier’s crucial peaks and passes.
When Pakistan launched its ill-fated Operation Ababeel in April 1984, its troops approaching the Saltoro Ridge found the Indian Army firmly entrenched and in control of all major mountain passes and commanding heights along the ridge on the glacier’s western flank.
Citizens cannot be made slaves of the government, and externment orders cannot be passed merely because a person is involved in agitations and protests against it, the Bombay High Court has said while quashing a year-long order against a local politician.
A Single Bench of Madhav Jamdar also remarked in a lighter vein that with the ongoing “horse-trading” in Maharashtra politics, the petitioner could consider switching parties to get all the FIRs registered against him closed.
Petitioner Saeed Ahmad Abdul Wahid Chaudhary had moved the HC challenging the externment (often referred to as ‘tadipaar’) order passed against him after he was booked through a bunch of FIRs for staging protests and raising slogans against the Centre, BJP and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The police claimed these protests were staged without due permission from the authorities. The court, in its order, said there was nothing on record to show that the protests had caused any harm and, therefore, by themselves, could not be grounds for passing the externment order under the provisions of the Maharashtra Police Act.
The HC noted that the externment order affected Chaudhary’s fundamental rights, freedom of speech and expression and also his right to live with dignity. “Why externment orders for slogans? Can’t citizens raise such slogans? Why can’t citizens protest against government actions and decisions?” the court questioned.
Citizens were being made slaves of the government, the HC said, adding that if anybody protested, agitated or questioned the actions of the government, then cases were slapped against them. “Even you (Chaudhary) should switch sides. Anyways, horse-trading is going on in entire Maharashtra. You have some FIRs against you. Consider switching sides; there is a washing machine,” Justice Jamdar quipped. PTI
STAGING a peaceful protest is every Indian citizen’s democratic right, as repeatedly affirmed by the Supreme Court and various high courts. Can the police be justified in slapping FIRs on a protester and debarring him from entering a city merely for criticising the government and the ruling party? The Bombay High Court’s answer is an unequivocal “no”. Setting aside the Mumbai Police’s externment order against a political activist, the HC has observed that a morcha or a protest against decisions of the BJP-led Centre cannot by itself be a ground for drastic action that impacts the person’s fundamental rights. Justice Madhav J Jamdar’s sharp observation that “citizens cannot be made slaves of the government” is set to have reverberations far beyond Maharashtra.
Dissent is not a crime; it is a form of expression protected under Article 19 of the Constitution. Treating it as a threat to public order without credible evidence of violence or danger erodes the very freedom that distinguishes a democracy from an authoritarian state. The HC rightly noted that the FIRs registered against the petitioner largely related to alleged violations of prohibitory orders during protests, punishable by relatively minor provisions of the law. Such allegations fall far short of justifying the severe restriction of banishing him from his city for a whole year.
Justice Jamdar’s assertion that the police are “public servants” and not servants of political leaders is equally significant. His suggestion, made in a lighter vein, that the petitioner should consider switching parties to get the FIRs quashed through the government’s “washing machine” sums up the sorry state of affairs in the season of defections. The ruling serves as a timely reminder that citizens are not subjects to be silenced — they are the sovereign voice of the Republic.
Drawing lessons from Operation Sindoor and the military standoff with China, the Defence Ministry on Friday approved a counter-UAV system for the Army and a pseudo satellite-based surveillance platform for the Indian Air Force.
A shipborne unmanned aerial system for the Navy and a new category of jet-powered kamikaze drones for the Army were also cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the apex procurement body of the ministry.
The DAC, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) — the first stage of the acquisition process and an in-principle administrative approval — for proposals worth Rs 52,000 crore.
For the Indian Air Force, approval was granted for the procurement of High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellites (HAPS), which will provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), telecommunications and remote-sensing capabilities.
The HAPS platforms will feature fixed wings similar to aircraft and will be powered by solar energy and onboard batteries. They are essentially ultra-long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles that operate in the stratosphere, typically at an altitude of 20 km.
A pseudo-satellite flies high enough to perform many functions associated with a geostationary satellite, remaining over a designated geographical area for weeks or even months at a time, but at a fraction of the cost of launching a satellite into space. Unlike conventional satellites, which eventually burn up or become space debris, HAPS can return to base, land on a runway and be redeployed.
For the Army, the DAC approved the procurement of the Akash Tarang anti-UAV system, an electronic warfare platform designed to neutralise incoming drones.
The Ministry of Defence said the system would provide effective anti-drone protection to Army formations. Rather than relying solely on kinetic interception through guns or missiles, Akash Tarang employs radio-frequency jamming, spoofing and other electronic countermeasures to disrupt the command links and navigation signals of hostile drones.
The DAC also approved the procurement of jet-powered kamikaze drones, along with man-portable anti-tank guided missile (MPATGM) systems, medium-range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) systems and very short-range air defence systems (V-SHORADS).
The MPATGM will strengthen infantry units’ ability to counter armoured and mechanised threats. The MRSAM system will provide medium-range air defence against a range of aerial threats, while the V-SHORADS will enhance the Army’s close-range air defence capability.
For the Navy, the DAC approved the procurement of Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial Systems (NSUAS). Equipped with advanced sensors, these platforms are expected to significantly improve the Navy’s situational awareness and surveillance capabilities.
The Army Chief, Gen Dhiraj Seth, on Wednesday stressed the need for speeding up modernisation and laid out five priorities — “VIJAY” — each alphabet of the acronym signifying a priority.
Gen Seth, who took charge on Tuesday, inspected a guard of honour on the lawns of the South Block on Wednesday and then saluted his father, Lt Gen KM Seth (retd), who was present in the audience.
Gen Seth’s tenure as the Army Chief also brings in the first woman ADC, Capt Shivani.
Gen Seth said VIJAY stood for “vigilance; innovation and transformation; jointness and integration; aatmanirbharta; and yodha”. This covers the entire gamut of tasks Gen Seth has laid out for himself and the Army. “Aatmanirbharta” and “yodha” mean self-reliance and soldier.
Military service runs in Gen Seth’s family
Gen Seth’s family also has a deep association with the armed forces. His father, Lt Gen KM Seth (retd), served in the Regiment of Artillery. The Army Chief’s younger brother, Rear Admiral Ravnish Seth, serves in the Navy. An engineer by profession, he is currently posted as Admiral Superintendent of the Naval Ship Repair Yard in Karwar. One of Gen Seth’s two daughters is engaged to Flight Lieutenant Kanishk Malik
Explaining the importance of VIJAY, Gen Seth said the Army would maintain constant vigilance along the borders and against emerging threats. “We will also ensure a high level of operational readiness to respond effectively to any challenge to national security,” he said.
On “innovation and transformation”, Gen Seth said his focus would be on innovation in both doctrine and technological solutions. “Innovation will remain an integral part of our thinking, our systems and our capability development. At the same time, necessary transformations will be undertaken in keeping with the changing character of warfare,” Gen Seth said.
“Jointness and integration” will enhance the operational effectiveness of the Army and maintain complete synergy and coordination with the IAF and the Navy.
On “aatmanirbharta”, Gen Seth said, “With indigenous capabilities and technologies developed within the country, we must build a self-reliant Army. The overall aim will be to win our wars with indigenous solutions.”
On “yodha”, he said, “From Agniveer to the senior-most veteran, each one is a yodha. These yodhas are the greatest strength of our Army. Enhancing the technological threshold and training standards of our soldiers will be among my foremost priorities.”
He said the Army was combat-ready and a battle-hardened force, fully prepared and capable of meeting every challenge in the operational domain. “Our aim is to build a technology-enabled, future-ready Army, which is fully empowered and capable of operating across multiple domains,” he said.
Gen Seth expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh for reposing their trust in him and for entrusting him with the responsibility of leading the Army.
Two regional commands of the Indian Army that face Pakistan got new Commanders on Wednesday.
Lieutenant General Mohit Malhotra took over as the South-Western Army Commander headquartered at Jaipur while Lt Gen Rajesh Pushkar, who was serving as the Commander of the 2 Strike Corps, Ambala, took over as the Southern Army Commander headquartered at Pune.
Both commands face Pakistan and would form the frontline in any attack against the western neighbour and the area of operations extends across the entire border with Pakistan in Gujrat and Rajasthan beside a small portion of southern part of Punjab.
The commands have a wide array of arsenal, including major armoured formations, infantry, attack helicopters, offensive rocket formations, artillery guns and air defence systems.
The Southern Command also has the 21 Strike Corps based out of Bhopal.
Lieutenant General Mohit Malhotra was commissioned into the 47 Armoured Regiment in June 1989. Immediately prior to assuming command, he served as Chief of Staff, Headquarters, Eastern Command, where he made substantial contributions to operational preparedness, organisational effectiveness and institutional cohesion.
His command experience spans some of the Army’s most demanding operational environments, including the Siachen Glacier, an Armoured Regiment, an Independent Armoured Brigade, an Armoured Division. These appointments have provided him with extensive expertise in operational planning and the conduct of complex multi-domain operations across diverse theatres.
Lieutenant General Malhotra holds two Master’s Degrees in Defence Studies, including one from Kings College, London, in addition to two M Phil degrees in Political Science and Defence and Strategic Studies.
Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar assumed command as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command. He succeeds Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain, who has taken over as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Lieutenant General Rajesh Pushkar was commissioned into 74 Armoured Regiment in December 1988. The General has had an illustrious and distinguished military career spanning over four decades. During his service, he has held a wide range of command, staff and instructional appointments across diverse geographical and operational environments.
He was 2 Strike Corps commander during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan in May last year.
The General has commanded an Armoured Regiment in an operational area, a strategic Independent Armoured Brigade, an Infantry Division.
He headed the Indian Military Training Team to Bhutan and as Defence and Military Attache, Embassy of India, Moscow.
These two changes are happening after the new Western Army commander Lt Gen Pushpendra Pal Singh, had taken over at Chandimandir in April.
Celebrations swept through Nabipur village after Lt Gen Harjeet Singh Sahi was conferred the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) by the President at a ceremony held in New Delhi.
A native of the village, Gen Sahi’s distinguished honour has brought immense pride not only to his family, but also to the entire district. Villagers gathered to celebrate the achievement, describing it as a historic moment for the area. Many said his success proved that determination, dedication and hard work could take a person of a small village to the highest ranks of the Indian armed forces.
Expressing his happiness, Lt Gen Sahi’s elder brother Surjit Singh Sahi said the honour was a matter of immense pride for the family as well as the people of the district.
Pakistan on Thursday rejected the alleged Indian effort to control rivers by treating water as a “strategic asset,” especially in the case of the Indus basin.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi’s comments during his weekly press briefing were in response to a question about India’s decision to put the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) in “abeyance”.
India took a series of punitive measures against Pakistan a day after last year’s Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. One of the major steps was putting in “abeyance” the 1960 vintage IWT, which has governed the distribution and use of the Indus river and its tributaries since then.
Andrabi said that Pakistan rejected “India’s attempt to invoke baseless allegations of terrorism as a pretext for placing the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and obstructing the lawful flow of the Pakistani share”.
“Let this be very clear: the real issue is not terrorism. The real issue is the growing disposition within the Indian leadership to treat a shared international river system as a strategic asset that can be controlled, withheld or diverted at will,” he alleged.
Andrabi said that water is not a tool of coercion or political pressure and any attempt to deny Pakistan its legitimate share of water under the IWT constituted a clear violation of the international legal obligations undertaken by India.
Under the IWT, brokered by the World Bank, Pakistan received the entire flows from the three western rivers, Chenab, Jhelum and Indus, while India had complete rights over the three eastern rivers, Sutlej, Beas and Ravi.
TAMIL Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay recently inaugurated an all-women police unit called the Singappen Special Task Force, aimed at ensuring the safety of women and children in his state. That was a promise he had made during electioneering after he formed the TVK (Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam). He has decided that Singappen would be supervised by him.
Most chief ministers keep the Home portfolio in their own hands. This is not surprising as the police are the most visible agency of the government on the street; the image of the party in power depends a lot on how the cops behave in their daily interaction with the people they have sworn to serve.
Vijay has taken a resolute step forward. He has appointed a woman IPS officer, K Bhavaneeswari, to head the all-women unit and ordered that she report to him. That arrangement may not turn out to be practical, but the initiative is bound to send the desired message: the safety of women and children is of utmost importance to the CM and he is going to ensure that they go about their business without constantly looking over their shoulders.
In my city of Mumbai, the police have evolved the “Didi” project. Female cops are specifically designated as “Didis” in every police station’s jurisdiction to keep in touch with school authorities and monitor the safety of children from the moment they leave their homes to the time they return. Kids travelling in school buses are vulnerable to sexual harassment. The antecedents of bus drivers and conductors, besides toilet attendants and janitors in schools, need to be verified before they are employed.
The safety of women on the street is another problem altogether. As a trustee of the Public Concern for Governance Trust (PCGT), I was in contact with another NGO that had been involved in this work for several years. We joined forces and were successful in getting many spots in the city identified and equipped with better street lighting, to begin with.
That experience was enough for us to realise the magnitude of the problem. The incidence of misbehaviour with women has increased exponentially in the last few decades. It is difficult to put your finger on the exact causes of this phenomenon, but what is certain is that we need to sensitise young men about the importance of respecting their mothers, sisters and daughters, and to extend this respect to all women.
While it will be interesting to keep track of the Singappen project, the fact that women police officers in Punjab are leading major operations against criminals is another heartening trend. Some of them are involved in the anti-gangster drive (“Gangstran Te Vaar”).
Pragya Jain, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG, Law and Order) and former Faridkot SSP, believes that gender has nothing to do with the roles she has been asked to perform. “Policing is about competence, courage and commitment,” she says. I agree with her completely.
Much depends on the police leaders. If they can take all their juniors along to achieve various goals, their gender, religion, caste or economic status become irrelevant. The leaders need to be honest, fair and just in their dealings with the public as well as their subordinates.
Are women better than men in policing? I don’t think so. It all depends on individuals. I have come across outstanding women and men at different levels of the police force. I have also seen laggards in both genders. Even corruption has affected both of them. Much depends on those in the top echelons. Both male and female personnel will look up to them. If the leaders are persons of integrity and willing to lead from the front, they can transform the outlook of the personnel entrusted to their care.
There are some physical differences between men and women that have to be considered. For example, an all-out lathicharge should be assigned to men. Most other qualities required for getting a job done, like integrity, fair play, initiative and commitment, are common to them.
The Punjab Police have found that women are more open to sharing information about wrongdoers in their locality with police officers of their own gender. This is to be expected. Similarly, a victim of molestation may not be keen to share details of the agony she has suffered with policemen, but would be more comfortable with policewomen. These realities should be kept in mind by police leaders who have to make on-the-spot decisions.
I vividly remember an incident that happened decades ago. The late Jayawantiben Mehta, a feisty BJP leader from Mumbai, and others had blocked a key road prior to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s arrival. I was the DCP sent to clear the road. I tried to persuade Jayawantiben, but she was adamant. She insisted on dealing with women cops who, in those days, were not as numerous as they are today. I told her I did not have any policewoman with me and requested her to permit the PM to proceed. On her refusal, I had to order the men to keep banging their lathis on the ground for making a racket to unsettle the protesters. That was the most viable alternative I could think of.
Several years later, Jayawantiben served as a Minister of State in Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government. She asked me to visit her official residence in Delhi whenever I happened to be in the capital. Obviously, she held no grudge against me, just as I held none against her. We were both doing our respective duties.
