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Deployment of women constables cheers up farmers at border |
As women constables of the Border Security Force (BSF) were deployed at the India-Pakistan International Border on Friday, a wave of cheer overwhelmed
the villagers here. Male farmers expressed their delight over the development,
saying the presence of women security personnel would encourage their womenfolk
to join them in the fields near the border. The fencing of the 553-kilometer-long
border since the 1990s; has created a feeling of reluctance among rural women
to cross the border gates to work in fields or to deliver meals. Most of them
were hesitant in undergoing a frisking of their bodies, a security provision to
check against the smuggling of unwanted material from across the border. In such
conditions, farmers were compelled to hire outside help on daily wages. Hailing
the step, farmers in the border area said their financial burden would be reduced
with their women stepping in to assist them. They also said that the deployment
of women constables would enable them to access cheap labour. Raj, a woman labourer,
said: “I am very happy since it was difficult to get work in the village. We can
now go to the fields beyond the fencing and earn much for our families.” Balwinder
Kaur of Rorawala village said that her family owned about ten acres of land beyond
the fencing and some times it was difficult to cultivate it due to the shortage
of labourers. Now, with the presence of female security personnel, she said that
she and other females of the family were ready to help in the cultivation process
beyond the fenced wiring. Joginder Singh, a farmer, said that he was now looking
forward to the fresh meals brought to him by the womenfolk of his family. Mohammad
Aquil, DIG (Border Range) BSF, said the deployment of the lady BSF constables
would be done in the state of Punjab within two months. A senior BSF official
said about 178 girls would be posted at the international border dividing India
and Pakistan. At a later stage, 60 of these women constables would be deployed
along the India-Bangladesh border These women are aged between 19-25 and are fully
trained in the use of weapons, patrolling and other combat tasks, they will be
assigned non-combat duties along the fenced border. Gurbir Kaur, a woman constable,
said that the (soldiers)’ uniform always fascinated her. She said that being in
uniform was a dream come true. Raman Preet Kaur, another lady constable, said
that apart from frisking, she was also trained to handle a security-related crisis
at the border. These women passed out of the BSF academy in Kharkan near the town
of Hoshiarpur on July 25 this year. |
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