too true.
Umesh
Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
This would be terribly funny, if not so sad.
cm
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DATELINE Guwahati/Wasbir Hussain
When policemen play with bombs
For the first time last week, I saw policemen really playing with
bombs! That was in front of the ICICI Bank on the busy G.S. Road,
Guwahati's most happening place these days. A bomb was discovered
within the premises of the Bank-usually crowded like a fish
market-creating a commotion. It was around 11 a.m. and I happened to
be at the Bank on some work. Finding the Manager Shantanu Goswami
walking up and down the stairs, I asked him what was going on. One
of his colleagues showed me a letter, that was found with the
packet that contained the bomb. The hand-written letter asked for a
payment of Rs 60 lakh or face death. The packet, with wires
protruding out, was quickly hurled away by the security guards into
the footpath in front of the Bank.
The drama that would unfold from this point on, exposed-right in
front of my eyes-the utter inefficiency and lack of training on the
part of the policemen who had arrived at the scene. Two or three odd
cops tried in vain to keep onlookers, who had gathered by then, at
bay. One of the policemen was whistling away, shaking his hands
vigorously at the traffic that continued to flow by within less than
five feet of the spot where the bomb was lying. And, what surprised
all of us was when three policemen ventured close to the bomb,
peering intently at the packet. One of them started fiddling with it
with his service stick, no more than three feet long.
The cops continued to stay put by the side of the bomb, as if they
were sure they could withstand the impact of a blast. We have heard
of cops trained in unarmed combat, but does it mean they can tackle
an explosion that way? Maybe the Assam Police has imparted certain
special training to its men! The cops by now had managed to push the
packet out from a small undergrowth into a clear space on the
footpath. Shoving and turning it with the little stick, they managed
to tear the cover. Out came some brown powder-like stuff. One of the
cops quickly picked up a handful and started smelling it. Then, a
red bar came out, that really looked like a timer device. By this
time, one of the policemen had managed a long bamboo pole. With it,
he pushed the object to the drain by the side of the footpath.
We were stuck inside the Bank, on the first floor, and watched the
proceedings below. A battery of photographers were in action. Just
like the cops, they were getting close to where the bomb lay, taking
pictures. We were fine inside the Bank, sure that we were at a safe
distance and won't be harmed should the bomb go off. Suddenly, a
rifle-wielding policeman came in and ordered us out. Bank officials
were quick to ask their security guards to down the shutter.
Imagine, the scene: a bunch of people ordered out of a safe location
and forced to walk out to the main road, crossing the place where
the bomb was lying. What if the explosion took place just as the
people were walking by? On whose orders did the rifleman got the
people out before the bomb was taken away or defused?
Now, in such a situation, the bomb disposal squad is supposed to
reach the site and deal with the device. The so-called bomb squad
arrived more than an hour-and-a-half later. A senior city police
officer later said on television that they could not reach the spot
earlier because of traffic jam. One is supposed to believe him. The
episode had demonstrated just how our security providers are
themselves at a loss when a real crisis emerges. It's plain
commonsense that in such a situation, the cops should have formed a
cordon, prevented onlookers from coming near, stopped plying of
vehicles on one lane of the road where the bomb was lying, and
themselves stayed at a safe distance. Well, it's another matter that
the threat turned out to be sort of a hoax.
What the Assam Police lacks totally, and, therefore, need is
training. I really don't know if the constabulary has ever been given
refresher courses or training in firing and so on. At one stage,
Assam Police officers had admitted that their men were 'zero' in
individual man-to-man combat. But, after the bomb incident, it
appears they need through lecture sessions to tell them on how to
deal with different situations. Well, they also need to do regular
exercises. That's because, many of the cops must get their
waistlines reduced. Once that happens, their minds could work better
and help them remain more alert! (Feedback: [EMAIL PROTECTED])
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