Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Unfortunate

The suicide by army officer Sushmita Chakraborty due to depression and disinclination to perform some duties because she felt she was better qualified is unfortunate. Instead of addressing the causes of job dissatisfaction, Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. K. Pattabhiraman is reported to have said that the Army can do without women.

Such statements will affect the morale of the force. Surprisingly the media, which blow insignificant things out of proportion, do not seem much concerned about the sensitive issue.

Md. Sabir Ansari,
New Delhi

The incident exposes the lack of career guidance offered to the candidates. It is important to educate potential candidates on the type of work they would be doing once they get into the defence forces. They should be prepared to do routine jobs, which may not offer scope for innovation or creativity.

N.N. Balakumaran,
Bangalore

The role of the armed forces is to defend the country, not to facilitate social empowerment. All citizens irrespective of sex, caste, and creed should have the right to serve provided they qualify in every way, meet the same physical and mental standards and complete the same training.

Cdr. Arun Visvanathan (retd.),
Chennai

It is time to ask: `Is it really necessary to have women officers in the armed forces?' The answer is a clear `no.' Life in the armed forces is serious business. As a soldier with over 33 years of service, all I say is `let us be practical'.

Colonel S.S. Rajan,
Bangalore

This refers to the report "Army for more women officers" (June 18). Gender equality cannot be achieved by merely paying lip service to it. It has to be realised in both action and in spirit. Gender discrimination is rampant in all sectors. Not surprisingly, many women pioneers who have scaled great heights in their fields complain they had to work doubly hard to do so. That Sushmita resorted to such an extreme step signifies that she was yearning for a more challenging role in the army.

Having said this, one cannot but point out that women too should stop expecting separate queues in offices and reserved seats in buses. They should compete with men on an equal footing, expecting no priority and should be suitably rewarded for what they deserve.

Diksha Kaustubhi,
New Delhi

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