The question whether Uttarakhand police is ready to take on any terror strike if Gurdaspur terror strike repeats itself at any crowded place in Haridwar, Dehradun, Udham Singh Nagar or Nainital is haunting the people who were shell-shocked by the daring exploits of the terrorists. Things on the ground are not encouraging. In Uttarakhand as elsewhere, the civil police is bound to respond first in case such an attack happens. But they neither are equipped with sophisticated weapons nor are they adequately trained to take on the agility and intelligence aside from the steely commitment of the perpetrators of terror.
However, Uttarakhand police has developed its anti-terrorist squad Guldar which is equipped with sophisticated weapons like light machine gun, AK-47, SlR, Indian Small Arms System (ISAS), bulletproof jacket, grenade, night vision camera, rocket launcher and the likes. This aside, State police has other units like PAC and IRB. The police top brass claims that they are quite capable of carrying out operation against the terrorists till the time national agencies like NSG and Army take over the charge of the operation.
Two units of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) have been formed in Anti- Terrorist Squad Guldar, comprising 92 commandos.
A wide variety of weapons is being used by SWAT, the most common of them being submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, shotguns, and sniper rifles, round the corner (a gun that can shoot around corners). The department is now mulling inclusion of Heckler and Koch MP5 submachine gun (a gun that can shoot around the target in terms of cent per cent accuracy) in the arsenal of SWAT. Tactical aids like flash bang, stinger, tear gas grenades among others have been also included in SWAT.
However, police department has decided to provide AK-47 in the aftermath of Gurdaspur attack to the police station in-charges who happen to be the first responders of any untoward incident befalling the areas under their jurisdiction. As of now, they are carrying carbines with them to take on any eventuality.
However, defending civic police being not adequately equipped, State’s top cop BS Sidhu said they are not supposed to be equipped that way though they are bound to respond to any terror strike and the like. “Things are no different in other highly vulnerable States like Delhi and Maharashtra. They are not capable of carrying out full-fledged operation against the striking terrorists. What has recently happened in Punjab is the same. What happened in Mumbai on November 26, 2008 is no different. As things stand now, we are heavily dependent on the Central anti-terrorist squads to take on terror strikes,” he said.
Dwelling on what happened in Mumbai-the deadliest of the terror strikes in the country in terms of casualties- he said local civil police had not been ready to negotiate the grim magnitude of the strike. “They lacked sophisticated weapons. Aware of their vulnerability in terms of preparedness, the terrorists fired indiscriminately on police and the common people,” he said, adding that it is hardly feasible that civil police who regulate traffic and investigate cases can be trained to tackle terrorist attacks.
DGP Sidhu further said that around Rs2 crores have been approved by the Central Government for resource enhancing equipments to be used for Ardh Kumbh slated to begin in Haridwar in January next. “We would enhance anti-terrorist squad- Guldar and its unit SWAT with the funds. Besides, we are focusing on providing high-level fitness training to the ATS personnel. They have already undergone such training at various places like Delhi and the same would continue in the coming days,” he said.