In A First, Women Officers Join Jungle Warfare Course For Indian Army

In a win, the Indian army has reportedly begun its recruitment of female soldiers into a course for jungle warfare. A senior spokesperson and official has confirmed to the Times Of India that women recruiters would now be taken into the Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS), where they were not allowed in until recently. 

What is CIJWS? 

CIJWS is a military training and research establishment that specialises in guerrilla warfare situated in Mizoram. The idea for a guerrilla warfare school was conceptualised by former army chief Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw in 1967. He was struck with the idea after having witnessed the damage that the lack of training in guerrilla warfare was doing to the soldiers during the North-East insurgency. The school has seen great success, prompting the opening of a similar unit in Assam named Kaziranga Special Jungle Warfare Traning School.

The Low-Intensity Conflict Operations Course (LICO) is a program known for being a pivotal element of tactical training in facing guerilla warfare and counter-insurgency warfare. Now, for the first time in its history, the course has taken in six female officers into this programme. 

What are counter-insurgency and guerrilla warfare? 

Counter-insurgency is a particular type of training that is conducted against revolutionaries or irregular forces. Counter-insurgency tactics have been used for time immemorial to fight insurgent forces. One of the major counter-insurgency tactics is to "drain the water" or withdraw the support for insurgents, thereby exposing them, a primary example being the American Civil War. Other techniques involve assassinations of key leaders or personalities, air operations, diplomacy and information operations. 

Guerrilla warfare is often the tactic used by insurgents or rebels to fight against an organised military. The term was coined in the 19th century during the Peninsular War and is used to refer to insurgents using various irregular tactics such as ambushes, terrorism, sabotages, raids or hit-and-run tactics to carry out operations to further their interests. Studying guerrilla warfare ensures that the military is well-equipped to deal with the situation of an insurgency if it ever arises. 

The new female officers who were recruited into the LICO programme would get to work alongside officers from Bhutan, Malaysia, France, Sri Lanka, and Nepal about survival in difficult terrain and reflex and tactical training.