Garo women overcome setbacks, break barrier to join SF-10

SHILLONG: They have overcome failures and treaded an unheralded path. Today, they stand tall to be a shining example to women aspiring to be in what was earlier perceived to be a male bastion — commandos of the Special Force (SF) 10 of the Meghalaya Police.
Recruit constables Menu Sangma (23) and Gravita M Marak (25) had both failed to make the cut last year. On Friday morning, they were part of the Passing-Out Parade of the second batch of 252 personnel who had undergone a rigorous three-month commando counter insurgency and jungle warfare course.
The parade was held at the 1st MLP Battalion headquarters at Mawiong here. Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who attended the ceremony as chief guest, had words of praise and inspiration for the new recruits.
As many as 35 Armed Branch Sub-Inspectors of Police (ABSIs) and 117 constables in the commando group, seven ABSIs and 43 constables in the law and order and riot control group were inducted into the Meghalaya Police on Friday.
But how difficult was it for them to cope with failure and take a second shot at success?
“I owe a lot to my family who has not only been supportive but inspirational as well. Their advice was to work hard and focus on the goal ahead,” Menu from Dudhnoi near the Assam-Meghalaya border, told The Shillong Times.
“Now, two of my siblings, one of them a female, want to follow suit,” she said, happiness writ large on her face.
There was a bonus waiting for her as well. “I got a chance to meet my parents today,” Menu said.
Gravita, however, was not so lucky. But she was happy to make the cut. “My family is not here. But they would have been proud,” the young woman from Dalu in West Garo Hills said.
With both coming from militancy-infested areas, the two believed that they are prepared to take on the negative elements that disrupt peace and development.
Over the three months, they had undergone commando physical training, combat training, night firing, swimming and many other obstacles that jungle warfare is associated with.
“We did more or less what the men did. Now, we are ready to get on with our job,” said Menu.
Asked how they coped with their “minority status” (two women versus 250 men) and became accustomed with training and living with their male counterparts, she candidly said, “At first we did have difficulty in mixing with them. But we soon realised that to be with them we had to be like them. So we became like them.”
For them, duty comes first though. “We miss our family and friends at home but won’t mind serving our state and country on occasions such as Christmas or New Year,” Gravita said.