Afghan women officers ready to face Taliban

Their partially covered head scarf is hardly suggestive of the tough minded nature of the women Afghanistan army officers who are ready to brave the bullets of the dreaded Taliban.
Even a mine blast injury while on a special operation duty in Kunduz region did not deter one of the women from facing Taliban's challenge.
Speaking through interpreters, Nazari, who is one of the 20 Afghan women officers undergoing training at the Officers Training Academy here, said she was determined to take on the Taliban.
Nazari said she sustained the injury while being part of a patrolling party in the mountainous terrain.

The women officers from the neighbouring country are at the OTA on a 20-day training programme.
"My work involves anti-mine drills, rope climbing and regular patrols," she said.

To a question on working with men in the Army, in a country that has restrictions on women, the officer said it was not an issue.
Another army personnel, Hasina Hakkimi said the Taliban even today kept women at homes and would impose controls on them.
"If the Indian-Afghanistan friendship supports (us), women can also serve like men for our country. So we thought if we get more support, we can tackle the Taliban."

The militant group was still fighting and women folk back home still feared them, she said in reply to a question on the situation in the war torn country.
On how she could manage to speak Hindi, the 21-year-old officer, who has been in the Afghanistan National Army for a year, said she learnt it through films.
"We watch Hindi films, Amitabh, Shah Rukh Khan films," she told PTI, adding her favourite movie was Amitabh Bachchan's 'Khuda Gawah' where some portions were shot in Afghanistan.
Dr Rebia Gharshin, who works as an anaesthetist in the army hospital of Afghan Army, said the hold of Taliban has diminished in urban region, though it still continued to be strong in rural areas.

Proudly stating that her father also served in the Army, she said more training will stand the women combatants in Afghanistan in good stead.
The Afghan women officers, some of them wearing bangles and rings, belong to diverse age groups with an officer as young as 21, and the anaesthetist with the medical corps in her 40s.
Asked how the Afghan women officers felt about South India, its culture and food, Captain Samriti, the coordinator and interpreter who knows Pashto, said they liked "dosa."
The Afghan women have an interest in learning cycling and "we have been provided bicycles," another officer said.

Among the places the team visited, she said they were taken to a leading retail shopping store and Dakshinachitra, a cultural living museum at the ancient sea shore town of Mamallapuram, about 70 km from here.
"They are usually fond of food like chicken and paratha, they enjoyed dosa and (other) South Indian food, " Samriti said.