CRPF raises world's first women paramilitary pipe band

After creating an exclusive women battalion 25 years back, the CRPF has yet again made history by commissioning in its fold the world's first all-women paramilitary pipe band.

The 22-member band has been created after picking the best women troopers from the three exclusive women battalions of the country's largest paramilitary force.

"This is the world's first all-women paramilitary band. The band members have been chosen from a cross-section of the country representing all the flanks," CRPF Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Neetu Bhattacharya told PTI.

The band will get its ceremonial colours on April 9 from Minister of State for Home Jitendra Singh during the 'Valour Day' celebrations of the CRPF -- the mainstay of the country for anti-Naxal operations.

The band will be led by a commander, called the 'Major of Pipes', Sub-inspector Darshana Kumari.

Out of the 22 band players, twelve will play the pipes while five will be on the drums and the rest will play other musical instruments.

The CRPF is credited with raising the first women battalion in central police forces way back in 1986.

The 2.5 lakh personnel-strong force presently has three operational women battalions with headquarters in the national capital, Gandhinagar in Gujarat and Ajmer in Rajasthan.

The women band will not only play martial and ceremonial tunes at traditional events of the force, it would also be sent to boost the morale of the troops at their United Nations (UN) mandated duty locations.

With the unveiling of the band next week, the women personnel will undergo regular training in learning musical instruments and band tunes for next few months by master trainers.

The band, on its debut, is expected to play the national anthem 'Jana gana mana', the CRPF song 'CRPF sada ajay, Bharat mata ki jai' and 'Kadam kadam badhaye jaa'.

The CRPF, like other central forces and state police departments, also has its won male band.