India's first all-women peacekeeping contingent ready to leave for Liberia

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New Delhi, Jan 18 (ANI): India's first all-women armed contingent of

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is ready to leave for Liberia to

join the UN Peacekeeping operations, its Director General said on

Thursday.

 

The specialised police unit, comprising 125 female officers of the

CRPF, has received training in crowd control, handling of weapons,

teargas and unarmed combat.

 

The team, led by Commandant Seema Dhondiya, will be armed with

pistols, Insas and AK-47 rifles and light machine guns.

 

"This is a unique moment for us, it's a historical moment for us.

Because it is not just the first woman contingent which has been

going from India on a UN assignment, but for what I learnt it is the

first woman contingent in the world which has been entrusted with a

task such as this for maintaining law and order, restoring peace

over there so that the country is able to progress," sad J.K. Dutt, General of CRPF.

 

Tanushree Sinha, a sub-inspector with the force, said she was elated

with her selection.

 

"No doubt I am so happy since I was selected for this contingent.

Now, at this point that we have been given a send-off party by our

DG (Director General). And we are likely to proceed to Liberia

within 10-12 days and I am very excited and happy," she said.

 

The force would undertake joint patrolling and area domination

besides riot control and training of officers of the Liberian

National Police during its year-long stay in the crisis-hit West

African nation.

 

The UN Mission in Liberia took over peacekeeping duties from the

Economic Community of West African states in October 2003 to bring

peace between the warring ethnic groups.

 

India, which has sent 69,000 troops to 39 peacekeeping missions

since 1950, currently has its forces deployed with UN missions in

Lebanon, Ethiopia-Eritrea and Congo.

 

The Indian Army had earmarked a brigade-size force, or about 3,000

troops, for deployment in UN missions in case of any contingency.

 

Media reports, however, say the UN is battling to keep in check its

burgeoning peacekeeping bills.

 

Worldwide there are 15 UN-led peacekeeping missions on three

continents employing 50,000 soldiers. The number of these blue

helmets, which is a symbol of UN soldiers, the reports say could

rise and push the system to the outer limits of its capacity. (ANI)

 

 

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