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Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president and former Union minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday recalled the opposition he faced from some quarters while implementing decisions related to women’s empowerment, including inducting women workers into the armed forces, but said when the leader is strong policies will eventually kill. .
The veteran MP held the key portfolios of defense (1991-1993) and agriculture (2004-14) as a Union minister and also served as chief minister of Maharashtra four times during his decades-long political career. .
Pawar recalled that as the defense minister when he visited the United States, he was given a guard of honor by the all-female unit of the American army.
Back home, Pawar discussed the idea of inducting women into the armed forces with all three service chiefs, but faced opposition to his proposal.
“I also brought this issue (induction of women) up (with them) for discussion a month or two later and received the same answer. After four to five months I told them (the heads of services) ‘people have chosen me as the defense minister. and it is my job to make a decision and your job is to implement it. From next month, women should get 11 per cent reservation,” he said.
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