The Military Nursing Service (MNS) Corps Association, the body representing women nursing officers in the Army, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene against the “attempts” by the Army and Defence Ministry to scuttle their career opportunity and equality with other branches by passing amendments in existing legislations.
In a memorandum given to the Prime Minister recently, the women nursing officers alleged that the attempt to repeal the Indian Military Nursing Service (IMNS) Ordinance of 1943 was to downsize their dignity and ranks in the Army cadre at the instance of Army top brass.
“The Army is trying to bring in differences between women officers in the MNS and other officers of the regular Army. They have dropped the word ‘regular Army’ in the Gazette of India notifications regarding the Militray Nursing Service…,” said Usha Sikdar, Major General (rtd), Former ADG of MNS and president of MNS Corps Association.
“The Army had influenced the law Commission of India to recommend in its Report No. 249 dated October 13, 2014 for the repeal of IMNS Ordinance 1024 with suitable amendments to the Army Act of 1950. The Army is out to misuse these recomednatiosn and downgrade the service cadre of the MNS from regular Army to an Auxiliary Force,” she said.
Alleging this move as “gross inequality” to the women nursing officers in the Army, who were the part and parcel of Army operations during war and non-war time, the military nurses association has requested Modi to issue orders to prevent this move. In a four-page detailed memorandum to the PM, the association alleged that the top Army brass for the decades have “even mislead” the apex court and various legal forums in the cases filed by nurses for equal opportunity and parity in the force.
“We request the Prime Minister to recognise and declare the equal status of women officers in the MNS at par with the other officers of the regular Army and to restrain the Army from changing their status, terms and conditions of service under the garb of repeal of IMNS Ordiance, 1934 or otherwise,” urged the Association of Nursing Officers of Army.