Guwahati: The women soldiers from the Assam Rifles would be deployed at motor-vehicle checkpoints to frisk women and children. They will also be helping out in-house searches during cordon and search operations. The women soldiers check the rising drug trafficking. They are now inspiring local girls to dream bigger and aim higher in life.
Riflewoman Rekha Kumari said in her statement, “We are women and have to deal with womenfolk. So we start from that common ground. We have to be humane so that the local women repose their trust in us. We are here to serve them.”
She further added, “We do all the duties that male soldiers do. We guard the gate, we man the bunkers, we go into cordon and search operations. There is no fear. This is part of our duty.” Kumari hails from the Vardhman District of West Bengal has served in Manipur and Nagaland. She arrived in the Kashmir valley a month ago.
Another Riflewoman named Rupali Dhangar said that many girls aspire to be riflewomen like them. She added that it is not necessary to become a soldier. Dhangar then said, “Let them follow their dreams, let them aim higher than the highest they thought they could go.” Dhanger is a native of Maharashtra. She is more into tough soldiering.
Dhangar was previously deployed to check the rising drug trafficking in the Kupwara district. A senior official said that it was difficult for the male officials at the Line of control to frisk the women suspects moving close to areas. The woman soldiers are going to responsible for investigating smuggling drugs from across the LoC. They will be helping out the security forces.
