Women soldiers deployed in J-K's Kupwara to check weapons and drug smuggling
Aug 11, 2020
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], Aug 11 : In order to keep an eye on and curb smuggling in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Army has posted women soldiers at Sadhna Top in Kupwara district.
Importantly, this area is close to the Pakistan-Occupied- Kashmir from where Pakistan-backed terrorists make attempts to infiltrate into the Indian side. These female soldiers have been tasked to keep a check on the weapons and drug smuggling in the district.
The area used to be prone to smuggling where the women and children were used to carry out these activities.
Speaking to ANI, Eichwan chin, a female soldier said, "There were inputs that women and children are being used for smuggling, we have been brought here to curb it."
The deployment of female soldiers is important since there are nearly 40 villages between the Tangdhar and Tithwal areas near the Line of Control. All vehicles coming from these villages cross the Sadhna Pass to enter other parts of Kashmir.
The responsibility to search these vehicles as they enter the Sadhna Pass lies with the Indian Army. However, often due to the presence of women passengers in civilian vehicles, it is difficult for the armed personnel to carry out a thorough search.
To assist the Indian Army, a platoon of Rifle Women had now been deployed there. The nine 'rifle women' of this platoon, mostly probably all from Northeast under the leadership of a female captain of the Indian Army, are searching each and every vehicle carrying woman passengers which pass through the area.
Another female soldier named Pooja Jain said, "The people are very cooperative here. All the women and children become very happy when we conduct a thorough checking. The morale is very high as we don't have any problem discharging our responsibility here."
"The people are very easy going here. We distributed sweets on Eid. We help women and children in medical terms also as when they have any medical problem they come to us and we take them to our in-charge officer for further help," GD Suman said.
