COMMANDING CHANGE

A leaked letter reignites the debate on women officers

- SANJIB KR BARUAH

MULA GABHARU IS a name largely unknown in mainland India. But in the vast Brahmaputra plains of Assam, she is a revered 16th-century warrior princess. Enraged by the treacherous death of her husband, a military general, at the hands of Turbak Khan, a famed Turkish general in the army of Sultan Nasrat Shah of Bengal, Mula took up arms. Donning her husband's battle attire, she mounted her war elephant, Nangjing, and breathed new life into a dispirited Ahom force. She slew Khan and led the Ahoms to victory in a battle near the Bharali river in 1532, driving the invaders back to the Karatoya river, the western border of the Ahom kingdom.

The legend of Mula Gabharu, and many others like her, exemplifies the capabilities of women military leaders. Throughout Indian history, countless women warriors have commanded men and wielded swords with exceptional skill.

Yet, traditional bias against women warriors persists. What if, for instance, instead of the Indian Air Force's Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, it had been a female pilot whose MiG-21 Bison fighter was downed in Pakistani territory in February 2019? Would India have responded differently to Pakistanis' capturing her? Would it have escalated to an all-out war?

How do women leaders navigate the male-dominated military, where patriarchy prevails and the "male-bonding" and "band of brothers" ethos is deeply ingrained? It is an environment where brute strength often trumps skill, and where, historically, the presence of women has been seen as a distraction.