"Letter On Women Commanding Officers”: Article in Times of India - 01 Dec 24

Editor's Note

The subject of women COs in the Army is currently being debated not only in Fauji circles but also in the civil environment. Several articles have surfaced in the print and electronic media, throwing up varied versions and perceptions about the Army and its functioning. The Sunday edition of TOI dated 01 Dec 24 carried a highly critical piece by an ex-TA Major and well-known advocate Navdeep Singh. The Fauji fraternity has felt quite agitated and offended by the contents of this article that convey several wrong impressions about the Army, and is also critical of its ethos and norms, including the functioning and role of its leadership. Hence, there was an immediate need to counter and correct the wrong impressions/perceptions created. In fact, ToI and Maj Navdeep Singh owe an apology to the Indian Army for such a derogatory article. 

Brig BL Poonia, through this article puts the things in the correct perspective.

Editor, MVI           

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Introduction

This refers to the article published in Times of India, on 01 Dec 2024, titled "Letter on women Commanding Officers shows how Army officers are stuck in a time warp".

The author, Maj Navdeep Singh being a lawyer, his expertise lies is the domain of law. Though he is an ex-officer of the Territorial Army (TA), he does not have an experience of commanding even a TA battalion, which though a part of the Army, yet has only an auxiliary role. And here the issue under discussion is 'Review of Performance of Women Commanding Officers (COs), required to operate in combat zones. Hence his entire thrust has been typically that of a lawyer trying to defend the case of a client through all possible reasoning, taking advantage of the fact that others have even lesser knowledge of the subject.

Review of Performance of Women COs

The feedback on any subject, to be meaningful, must come from the user. In this case the users are the immediate formation commanders of the women COs, ie the Brigade Commanders, or the GOCs in case of Div/Corps troops units. In fact, they are the ones, who are really competent to comment on their performance. It is they, whose efficiency would be affected during war. It is they, who would be responsible to complete the assigned tasks, where the efficiency of the women COs would also play an important role. It is they, who would be answerable for their success or failure. War is a mud and blood affair and not a case to be won in a court of law, where each lawyer would try to defend his client to his best of his ability, whether right or wrong.

A feedback, whether positive or negative, or a mix of the two, is the first step to improve a system. Having got a feedback from one of his Corps Commanders, the Army Commander would obviously like to get a similar feedback from the rest of his command, and thereafter, he would like to apprise the Army Chief, who would like to carry out a similar excercise at the Army level, by getting the feedback from the other Army Commanders. Having done so, he would like to depute a study team to study the reasons for weaknesses reported, and suggest measures to improve upon the same. This is how the Army functions.

Hence the author must appreciate that this is not the stage for carrying out a scientific study, yet he is questioning even the justification of feedback provided by the Corps Commander, by asking the following questions:

●   What was the methodology adopted?

●   Who were the members and respondents?

●   What was the questionnaire?

●   What was the data, the sample, and the empirical analysis?

●   Whether the experts such a psychologists were consulted?

Feedback - A Part of the Larger Excercise

Let us not forget that this is only the feedback stage of the larger exercise, to improve upon the weaknesses noticed, comprising the following steps :

●   Getting the feedback.

●   Identifying the weaknesses noticed.

●   Identifying the reasons for the weaknesses.

●    Evolving the corrective steps.

●    And having the same implemented.

Involvement of Specialized Agencies

The author says that such studies are meant to be conducted scientifically by professional wings of the defence services, and the ministry, and not by a 'motley crew' of undisclosed men sitting together in a room exchanging personal opinions on women. He should appreciate that the commanders of the Indian Army at any level, starting from a Section Commander to the Army Chief, cannot be classified as 'motley crew'. 'Motley crew' means a group of people with variety of backgrounds, appearances, or characters, who may also be poorly organized. Is it correct to call the commanders of the Indian Army a 'motley crew' ? Well, you be judge.

Not only this, the Times of India had published a photograph at the centre of the article with a caption : "UNFAIR MOVE - A bunch of men shouldn't  be sitting together to pass judgment on women commanding officers." Thank God, he didn't use the word - 'A bunch of hooligans'. Calling the Brigade Commanders, Division Commanders and a Corps Commander, a bunch of men - is it a mature comment? Intrerestingly, the Editor of the newspaper, having drawn inspiration from the contents of the article, boldly proceeded with making such irresponsible comments. Imagine the impact it has on the image of the Indian Army. The Army has a well established chain of command, through which it functions like a well-oiled machine. In fact, its functioning is an example to be followed by all other organizations of the country, since it sets a unique example.

Moreover, the feedback of the excercise is not supposed to be conducted scientifically by professional wings of the defence services; it's the job of the users. However in case, lack of adequate training at the Officers Training Academy (OTA) is identified as one of the reasons, the role of Army Training Command (ARTRAC) would come into play. If the problem identified goes back to the very selection system at the Services Selection Board (SSB), the role of Defence Institute of Psychological Research (DIPR) would come in. Once the pattern of weaknesses is identified, and corrective measures are instituted, the College of Defence Management would come in for teaching the same to the student officers. But none of these agencies have a role to play at the feedback stage of the excercise.

Reaction - Primarily from the Veterans

The author has also mentioned that most of the 'cacophony' emerges from the section of the officer corps and not from the lower ranks. Should he term the reaction of the veterans as 'cacophony'? He must appreciate that the jawans have no means to question their COs or make public their grievances; in fact not even the serving officers can do so. It is only the veterans who can express themselves freely. The fact that the jawans and officers serving under the women COs cannot voice their grievances openly, does not mean that everything is tickety-boo. How can the serving lot of Defence Forces be expected to express themselves openly? It is only when a study team is composed to get a feedback, they can express their grievances to that team.

Comparison with CAPFs

As regards his argument that the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), which have a longer tradition of women serving in all ranks including at the border, have never experienced such scorn, he must realize that the type of leadership involved, the combat zone environment in which one has to operate, the kind of challenges one has to face during a war or counter-insurgency operations, and the degree of efficiency expected from the Indian Army COs is far superior to, than what is expected of any police organization. It is simply uncomparable. Hence comparing the case with the CAPFs, is not a convincing argument. That is a lame excuse.

Importance of Periodic Review/Assessment

Interestingly, the author had used a language typically used by the lawyers to defend their clients. He calls the feedback of the Corps Commander as 'blinkered verdict'. First of all, he being a lawyer, must understand that a feedback is neither a verdict, nor is it blinkered. He also mentions that commenting on their performance just after an year's command is too early. If that be so, then why should an Annual Confidential Report (ACR) be initiated every year ? Even if a CO completes 90 days under a Brigade Commander, and any one of them gets posted out, the CO becomes eligible for an interim ACR. That is the importance of continuous assessment in the Army. The Indian Army can't afford to take a chance.

The author should also appreciate that the commanders at various levels are better qualified to decide such matters, as compared to a retired Major of the Terretorial Army (TA), who never had a chance, even to command a TA battalion. Yet he comes out with an argument without justification, that it is just because the women officers have taken over as COs in hitherto male-occupied appointments, proverbial hell has broken loose. Isn't it a loose statement ? It is a preposterous assumption, and he is sadly mistaken. It amounts to inciting women officers. Even if the trials for any item of uniform, eg introduction of a new pattern of Boots DMS for soldiers, or a piece of equipment take place, periodic feedbacks are forwarded by the users. I am sure, a serving Lt Gen is better qualified to decide the frequency or the timing of the feedback, than an ex-Major of Territorial Army.

Keeping Pace with Changing Times

As regards his logic, that we are about to enter the year 2025, he would do well to remind himself that the Defence Forces have kept pace with rest of the nation by gradually increasing the induction of women in the Defence Forces. But that does not mean that a review of the performance of the women COs becomes redundant. If entering the year 2025 is such a revolutionary event in history, then why shouldn't we have 50% strength of women in the Defence Services in all all ranks ? Why shouldn't we have 50 percent women as jawans in the Infantry, Mechanised Infantry, Armoured Corps, Artillery and Engineers? Why not have women company commanders and women COs in Infantry ? We must appreciate that in spite of we being in the 21st century, the progressive changes in all fields, have to be made gradually by trying out the new concepts, before putting the same into practice. Moreover, each change has to be implemented, only if found successful after adequate trials are conducted. Leave apart the Defence Forces, even the Women's Reservation Bill seeking reservation for one-third of the Lok Sabha and State Assembly seats, was opposed by the opposition parties tooth and nail, in the Parliament, last year only, ie in the year 2023. Did the author then express his displeasure, for the injustice meted out to the women ? A nation has to keep pace with the evolution of society, which differs from country to country, and is not the same across the continents. It is not the same for India and the USA. The ushering of the year 2025 has different implications for each country, hence let's not try and project ourselves as ultra-modern beyond a limit, by fast forwarding the role women.

The Judgmental System of Assessment

We all are aware that the Indian Army functions through a well organized system of chain of command, and the commanders at levels are assessed through a judgmental system. Each commander is fully trained to judge his subordinate commanders through his professional experience. Even during a war, each officer's performance in rated based on judgmental system. However, to ensure fairness, there is a well organized system for redressal of grievances too. But if someone decides to go to a civil court, the lawyer is bound to ask the following questions to the assessor, the way the author of this article has done :

●   What was the basis of your judgment?

●   Can you explain various factors that you considered while judging the officer's performance?

●   Did you prepare a questionnaire?

●   Did you compile the data, make a list of the reasons, and carry out an empirical analysis of his/her drop in performance?

●   Was your assessment based on some scientific technique or was it just an arbitrary decision? Did you consult some qualified psychologist?

Conclusion

After reading this article in Times of India, in case any woman CO wants to file a writ-petition against the very concept of the feedback by the Corps Commander on her performance, or wants to get a stay order on the same,  she knows at least one reliable lawyer, who would be willing to fight her case all out; to hell with security of the nation, which should ideally come first, always and every time.

We must appreciate, that the Defence Services take so much of pain before approving a new system; even for approving an item of uniform or a piece of equipment to be introduced, only to ensure the efficiency of the organization. We should respect their functioning, and not put a spoke in the smooth functioning of wheel by questioning the well-established system of periodic feedbacks, just because we have been empowered with a right to do so. That amounts to misuse of rights. While the author has a 'right to express his opinion', but that does not include the 'right to be taken seriously', since no theoretical improvement in a system should make us abandon, anything that is supported by experience.