Women brigade for girl protesters

Facing a tough situation in Kashmir handling a multitude of stone pelters that are being joined by an increasing number of school-going girls, the Centre has asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to induct at least 33 per cent of women in the five India Reserve (IR) Battalions that are to be raised by the State.

The worry for the Centre lies in how the security forces should deal with female stone-pelters. The Centre also fears attracting bad publicity.

"It is acceptable and legitimate if women security personnel deal with protestors of the same sex," said a senior official of the J&K government. The state government has already received about 6,000 applications from women across the state.