The image of a woman commando in the SPG cover providing security to PM Narendra Modi inside Parliament has recently started discussions on social media platforms. The photo features a woman SPG commando standing behind PM Narendra Modi. Her presence sheds light on a drastic shift in the security dynamics of the nation’s top political office. The image has been shared by several users, including actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut, who are now replete with curiosities about the role of women in India’s most elite security force.
According to sources, however, this is not the first time women have been put out in the SPG. In fact, it is said that female commandos have been part and parcel of the Special Protection Group for quite a long time. Now that the picture has captured attention, it also throws open the fact that all through the years, the country’s top leaders, be it the Prime Minister, have seen safety and security because of women.
भारत की शान, नारी शक्ति की पहचान!
SPG में ड्यूटी पर तैनात हमारी साहसी महिला सुरक्षा अधिकारी, देश की सेवा और सुरक्षा में नया मानदंड स्थापित कर रही हैं।माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी के नेतृत्व में, नारी शक्ति हर क्षेत्र में अग्रणी भूमिका निभा रही है। यह नया भारत है,… pic.twitter.com/LdHTw8FsSo
— Ravneet Singh Bittu (@RavneetBittu) November 28, 2024
Female Commandos in SPG: A History of Inclusion
The role of women in the SPG goes back several years, when female commandos were first put on specific tasks such as advanced deployment activities. Their tasks have run the gamut from frisking female visitors at government buildings to monitoring those coming in or out of secure sites. It’s a sign of change in the dynamics of security where women are incorporated into the SPG because gender does not serve as an issue in completing the challenging, physically exhausting jobs of elites.
The said viral picture from Parliament was said to be part of the daily security checks, wherein commando females stand at strategic areas to safeguard those entering parliament. Female commandos are expected to provide security checks on the women guests and enable smooth access by the Prime Minister to all functions; hence, she is not only a heroine, symbolising the contribution women make to national security but also, on a primary level, the inputs towards the nation’s security for themselves.
Women in Close Protection Teams
In close protection teams, there is nothing new about the inclusion of women in the Indian elite security apparatus. Since 2015, the induction process for women into the Close Protection Team of the SPG, entrusted with the duty to protect the Prime Minister at all times, started in stages. It is the team responsible for providing security to the Prime Minister at all times, monitoring threats while he appears publicly, travels, or makes official appearances. Women are now making up a key component of this highly sensitive security detail, shifting gender roles for the first time in very male-dominated security posts.
The role of women in SPG also assumes much significance during the foreign tours of PM Narendra Modi. Female commandos function as part of the security detail to afford advanced liaison security to make sure that the safety of the Prime Minister is never compromised, even during his foreign tour. They collaborate with foreign security agencies and local police forces to maintain clear perimeters around the Prime Minister while on international expeditions.
Today, the SPG has 100 women commandos in its ranks, working closely in close protection roles and in advanced security liaison capacities. This is an ever-growing number that reflects a changing perception of women’s role in India’s national security scenario. Female officers in the SPG undergo the toughest training like their male counterparts, and they have shown great resilience to perform under extreme pressure.
BJP and PM Modi’s Position on Women Empowerment
The deployment of female commandos within the SPG is a powerful example of how the BJP and PM Narendra Modi see women empowerment. The BJP has, under PM Modi, constantly been a strong voice for gender equality and the empowerment of women in every walk of life. It has, from promoting women in leadership positions to participation in the workforce, encouraged women to join what have been male-dominated professions, such as national security.
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Prime Minister Modi often talks about his belief in women’s strength and their ability to do wonders when given the opportunity. He said that it is not only about providing them with opportunities but also realizing their potential and breaking barriers created by society that hold women back. The SPG’s decision to send women commandos reflects this vision of women being able to excel in roles previously deemed inaccessible.
This also falls into a broader philosophy of the government, which views women not merely as contributors to the family or community but as national leaders and protectors. An SPG commando behind the Prime Minister is not merely an issue of security; this represents progress, equality, and the breaking of stereotypes, which have hitherto prevented women from advancing in fields such as defense and law enforcement.
A Symbol of Progress
The viral photo represents a symbol of progress for India’s growing presence of women within its security apparatus, towards the goal of achieving overall gender equality and empowerment for the country. The increasing number of women breaking barriers and making their way in challenging roles opens the door for other generations of women to break into the same challenging roles as well.
The deployment of women in the SPG marks the belief that gender has no say in one’s capacity to serve the nation. For the BJP and Prime Minister Modi, this is only one of the many steps in ensuring that women not only rise but also have a platform to prove that they can do wonders when given the chance.
