This would be terribly funny, if not so sad.
cm ******************************************************************************** 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]) _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
