Killing fellow jawans is the most heinous crimein uniform and points to a faulty retention policy
The latest incident of fratricidal killing in the CRPF ranks on Monday in Sukma, Chhattisgarh, is an ominous trend. Such deadly conduct of a trained trooper who should have ideally been a disciplined soldier is a pointer to the deeper malaise gripping the CRPF. While the political parties have sought to target the combined strength of the constabulary in the Armed Forces for their political objectives, the leaders of these forces have also been supportive of the kid-glove treatment to the jawans who are unfortunately portrayed as “bechara” (helpless) whereas they are supposed to deliver under adverse scenarios for which mental toughness is more important than physical toughness. The recurring cases of fratricide in the paramilitary forces, especially the CRPF, call for an overhaul of the discipline enforcement mechanisms within the ranks. For this, the foremost measure should be to get out of the 'bechara' syndrome for the jawans who are far well placed in terms of salary and perks as also lifestyle in contrast to the average citizenry from the countryside. In a nutshell, the 'bechara' connotation for the jawans is simply outlandish and detrimental for the force. It is also thankless for the taxpayers who fund the relatively good earnings and facilities for the jawans.
The lack of cohesion and discipline in the ranks is further compounded by the paramilitary bosses to shrug off such criminal actions of a section of the jawans as an outcome of mental stress. Without going into any scientific investigation, the CRPF hurriedly issued a statement after the Sukma incident that “due to some emotional stress leading to sudden psychological disbalance”, the offender constable “lost his control and in a fit of rage opened fire on his colleagues.” It amounts to protecting a criminal committing mass cold-blooded murder. On the face of it, the induction of such eccentric personnel in its ranks points to the faulty recruitment and retention policy wherein the psychological profile of the recruits is apparently given a go-by. The CRPF must liaise with the local police to ensure that the offender jawan gets death penalty for committing the most heinous crime in uniform and detailed background checks must be undertaken if he was a defaulter in terms of discipline and suitably punish his superiors, too. Nothing should be brushed under the carpet and discipline must be ensured to send a strong signal to the ranks which alone could be an effective deterrence to check recurrence of such incidents.