Women not fit for military combat, says Indian army chief

NEW DELHI: Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Sunday sparked an outrage by his misogynist comments deeming women not fit for combat roles in the army, an Indian website reported.

During an exclusive interview with News18, General Rawat listed the reasons behind his aforementioned statement.

He said the army wasn’t ready to induct female officers on the frontline because most of the soldiers hail from villages and may hesitate in accepting a woman commanding officer.

Terming it as a conundrum, the Indian army chief added that the army will not be willing to grant a six month maternity leave to a female commanding officer on active duty during any operation.

Relaying an analogy pertaining to any woman officer being captured in “Pakistani” territory, General Rawat said the reaction and sentiments of Indians will be aggressive.

Chief of the Indian Army also said women will feel uncomfortable in a war zone. “They may accuse fellow soldiers of peeking inside their sheds.”

Towards the end of the interview, General Rawat concluded that, “Women may also die in combat and India was not ready to see their bodies returning from war zones.”