Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, Aug 25: Andaman & Nicobar Police is nowadays extending her feet out of the jurisdiction limits risking life of hundreds of Jawans. It is a well known fact that national security is broadly divided into two main categories viz, External defense and Internal security.
The Armed Forces and Paramilitary forces like BSF, ITBP, Coast Guard are responsible for peripheral security of our nation while Police force is mainly responsible for maintaining peace and Law & Order inside the country.
Armed forces are well equipped with modern sophisticated arms, ammunitions, surveillance gadgets, conveyance and infrastructure whereas Indian Police is still armed with century old 0.303 bolt rifle and totally dependent on TIK TIK TIK(Morse Code) for communication.
Throughout India, Police forces are dedicatedly involved in Law & Order maintenance, detection & Investigation of Crime but in Andaman Islands Police force is being used as Table Salt, a must ingredient for all delicacies!
It has been learnt that several non-inhabited islands amongst A & N Islands have Look Out Posts for surveillance and to prevent intrusion of foreign poachers. These LOPs are generally manned by jawans from India Reserve Battalion and Executive force of A & N Police. Remote islands like Narcondum, East Island, Interview Island, Tillon Chong etc are places of very high risk.
Meagre strength of 7 to 15 Police jawan are deployed at these dangerous LOPs on monthly basis with age old weapons and scanty stock of ammunitions. Will Indian Govt mount Kashmir police along LOC? It is well accepted fact that India faces more threat from China than Pakistan and China has already started designing chain of pearls around southern India, especially A & N Islands.
If any fine day a dozen of Chinese soldiers armed with sophisticated weapons land on any of the above remote islands will our Police jawans be able to combat them? Police jawans are basically trained to fire for defense whereas soldiers are trained to fire to kill.
It has been learnt that during rough weather the VHF and Morse code communication of Police units badly fails for several days and during such communication failure if any police jawan of LOP is seriously injured or sick, one can expect his fate! In recent past there had been instances where snake bitten police jawan had to be evacuated by IAF chopper but due to timely communication his life was saved. It is high time Andaman Administration should rethink their strategy of countering foreign intrusion and handover all LOPs to Armed Forces.
Defense establishments are already facing several problems establishing their units due to resistance from local villagers, especially tribal populace. It will be easier and economical to setup defense unit in remote islands than running Police manned LOPs.
Naval patrol vessels sailing around the islands can provide necessary transport and logistic support to Armed force units in remote islands. Armed forces have all modern facilities to deal with any emergency situations.
Almost all Police Stations are running short of Police Officers and staff, instead of deploying police jawans across LOPs they can be used in Police Station for effective policing in area. Considering the recent Chinese aggression and setting up of their camps inside Indian territory it is expected that the day is not far away when China will land in our vulnerable islands and we will be filing displeasure for their act at the UN but will never be able to kick them out.
