Aware of Queen CoBRA? The all-female troop determined to eradicate Naxalism.

Today's women are breaking gender stereotypes and surpassing men in male-dominated industries as well, be it India's first female truck driver, Yogita Raghuvanshi from Maharashtra or India's first women fighter Pilot, Flight Lieutenant Bhawana Kanth, or the youngest female CRPF officer to join CoBRA, Usha Kiran, women of today aren't afraid to take up any challenge.

Indian Forces are not left out of this trend either. The government is providing women with plenty of opportunities to boost their careers in the service. According to an article in Hindustan Times, leaving out the medical wing where women have been serving for decades, there are currently 9,118 women serving the army, navy, and air forces. CRPF is the only paramilitary force in the country which has 6 Mahila (Ladies) Battalions. One fascinating addition to that is the all-women CoBRA troop.

This is the first time ever when there is an all-women CoBRA troop in the country.

34 brave women were inducted into CoBRA(Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) under CRPF and this was the first time ever that CRPF considered inducting women serve under CoBRA.

CoBRA is a special operation unit under the Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF) which was originally formed in the year 2009 to counter the Naxalite problem in various parts of India. They are also known as the Jungle warriors. The unit's soldiers require to be very tough mentally and physically to be able to operate from dangerously thick forests for days together. Hence, this has been an all-male affair until now. But now the women have stepped up to this challenge for the very first time and are willing to serve this force for eradicating Naxalites from the nation.

 These CRPF Women Officers self-volunteered for this tough job

Around 200 CRPF Women officers self-volunteered to be trained and inducted into Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, out of which 34 courageous women were handpicked to form the first all-female CoBRA Battalion to serve in various red corridor regions.

Earlier, all these women have presented their desires to be inducted as Commandos to serve for CoBRA to the Director-General CRPF, AP Maheshwari. And finally, on the occasion of the 88th All-Women Battalion Raising Day (On February 6, 1986, the first All-Women Battalion No. 88 was formed), CRPF took a step forward in exterminating Gender Discrimination by recruiting 34 intrepid women commandos into the elite anti-Naxal squad, CoBRA as a remembrance of the 88th Mahila Battalion serving the nation for 34 Glorious years.

CRPF has taken another step towards women empowerment by inducting women commandos on the celebrations of the 88th all-women battalion. Notably, the 88th Mahila Battalion of CRPF has the distinction of being the first all-Mahila battalion in the world, 

-the CRPF said in the press release.

In addition to this, there was also an all-women Brass Band that was formed on this special occasion which will undergo a special training course to acquire the required skills on the musical instruments making CRPF become the first force to have an All-Women Brass Band.

Female Commandos to undergo pre-induction training

The new elite-squad of 34 women will undergo pre-induction training for 12 weeks at the special school, CoBRA school of Jungle Warfare, and Tactics where they will be trained to face any challenge that might come along the way.

A Commando operating in the dense jungle might face numerous hurdles. The Naxalite region is particularly difficult to handle. For that, they have to be vigilant at all times and strong, both mentally and physically. Sometimes they have to go without food, water, or sleep for days and still be aware of their surroundings and ready to face any number of challenges that might come their way.

In this pre-induction training, they will be trained on special survival and combat tactics. They will have to go through some strenuous obstacle courses and fitness drills to increase fitness, to demonstrate techniques for crossing various obstacles they might come across in the forests, and increase team-work and self-confidence. They will also undergo special weapons training where they will be taught how to use some deadly firearms like AK-47, X95 Assault Rifle, Glock Pistol, etc.

Explosives are a common defense mechanism used by Naxalites. Hence, they will also be trained on various coping tactics and will be educated on all kinds of explosives and how to be cautious of them. If the training itself seems to be so tough, it runs chills down my spine when I imagine what they will have to face in the actual field of action. 

Final Thoughts

After this rigorous training, these women will soon be deployed in Red Corridor zones that are severely terrorized by Naxals. These women are really great and gallant to have chosen this for themselves. Their passion to serve the country and make India Naxal-free someday is truly inspiring. Those 34 daring women commandos out there (and hoping to see many more in the future) who will be spending countless nights in the dangerous Naxal hideouts just to protect our country makes me want to salute their enthusiasm. It certainly gives me hope there is nothing in this world that women cannot do if they #ChooseToChallenge.