Only one woman police personnel will be felicitated with police medal on the occasion of Republic Day this year when the figure for the male is 49-a fact that has stoked a controversy over whether the female police personnel are inherently incapable of policing vis-à-vis their male counterparts. A data received from the police department revealed that a female police Vimla Rawal, inspector (M), Police Headquarters, will be bestowed with the Governor’s exemplary service medal for her distinguished service.
A solitary woman police personnel being enlisted for the honour might embarrass the State government which flaunts its unflagging commitment to the ‘monumental’ cause of the women day in and day out. “Give the pathetic figure, are we to suppose that the women stand no comparison with their male counterparts when it comes to enforcing laws on the groundIJ
If things were so, it would be a sad commentary on the State where the women are known to spearhead movements in the public cause, leaving the men in the background. How can we forget the fact that the women led the statehood movement from the front, suffered and sacrificed a lot for the momentous cause,” said an observer.
Discrepancy between the platitudes and facts become clear when the State Government’s vow to reserve 30 per cent posts in the government jobs, including police, for women is juxtaposed with the presence of just eight percent women in the police department. On condition of anonymity, some policemen have questioned the efficacy of the criterion being applied for selection regarding police’s medal list. According to them, merit counts nothing with those enjoying sound rapport with the power that be are enlisted for awards.