KOLKATA: The Border Security Force (BSF) seems to be paying a heavy price, thanks to the Centre's policy to issue non-lethal weapons to personnel manning the Indo-Bangladesh border.
The number of Bangladeshi casualties may have come down but authorities across the border don't seem to have kept their words to curb crime along the international border.
As a result, criminals are taking advantage of the fact that the BSF jawans aren't armed with lethal weapons and creating havoc.
On Monday, sub inspector Rajender Singh of the 91 Bn BSF, who was attacked by cattle smugglers on July 22, died in a city hospital.
Attacked at BOP Jhorpara in the Dhantala police station area of Nadia, Singh slipped into a coma. On Monday morning, he breathed his last at the Mission Hospital in Kolkata.
"He was a resident of Haryana and attacked by cattle smugglers when he attempted to stop them. He was attacked with sharp edged "DAHs" resulting in multiple cut injuries. The BSF lodged an FIR at the Dhantala PS. Six Indians and six Bangladeshis were named but no arrests have been made as yet", a senior BSF officer said.
With BSF jawans worried about being suspended should they pull the triggers of their Insas rifles or newly-inducted Beretta carbines, attacks such as these have gone up manifold. Whenever the BSF attempted to stop the cattle smugglers from across the border, Indian villagers - associated with the racket - have attacked the jawans, Protests by the BSF at all levels hasn't helped much.
"After implementation of non lethal strategy on Indo-Bangla border, smugglers have become aggressive. In 2013, 47 BSF personnel have been seriously injured by miscreants along the South Bengal Frontier alone. Along the eastern theatre border, the number of severe casualties has been 75 personnel during this period," an officer said.
Officers are now facing a drop in morale among the troops who are sent out on patrol to get beaten up by criminals.
Even as another round of protest has been lodged with Bangladesh in Singh's case, the BSF is not too hopeful that things will improve. Meanwhile, Singh's body is being sent back to his home in Haryana by air.
BSF officer killed by cattle smugglers - Times Of India
Why the frick is a Central
ARMED Police Force not allowed to carry or use arms? Why designate them as a CAPF, if they are not allowed to use arms in the line of duty? Why not designate them as a CUVF (central unarmed vulnerable force)? It is ridiculous, that armed forces personnel have to stage dharnas and protests to be allowed use arms even in self defence.
