Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir:
The first batch of women policemen has passed out from the police training academy in Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir. They have been imparted special counter insurgency training to fight militancy, this comes at a time when Jammu Kashmir police is taking a lead role in the fight against terrorism.
Wednesday is Shabnum Begum's last day at the police training academy in Udhampur, she is among the first batch of 186 women who have passed out from this academy.
Shabnum spent her childhood in the Thanamandi area of Rajouri district, once a hotbed for militancy. She lived constantly under the shadow of the gun and that just made her resolve to fight terrorism even stronger.
"Many times the militants came to our houses and harassed us, we got this feeling that we have to join the police force and do something for the country," said Shabnum Begum.
These women drawn from different districts across the state are given special counter insurgency training to fight militants, the advantage with the locals is that they are well versed with the topography and are better connected with the population. Jammu Kashmir police force is 80, 000 strong with women constituting just less than a 1000.
"They have been trained in anti-militancy operations, and have been given a special commando course, they have been trained in computers also, so they have got all round training and we expect them to be deployed on duties which include anti-militancy and other tough duties," said Kuldeep Khuda, DG Police, J&K.
As army and other central forces are being slowly phased out from the state, it's ultimately the police who will have to take a more prominent role in the fight against militancy and to bring the state back on the path of peace and normalcy.