Those who remember the early morning shootout on Jan 22, 2002 in front of Kolkata’s American Center, would recall how the cops posted there went into prompt hiding in the face of raining bullets. The reason was obvious. None could muster sufficient courage and alertness to counter the attackers, let alone taking a good aim at them. One hoped that things would thereupon improve in the days to come.
A recent report card from the Police Training School (TT, June 29, 2006) however tells an alarming tale. TT’s news says that none of the 12 personnel from Rapid Action Force, Special Action Force and commandos fared any better in a 5-day shooting exercise that ended on June 9.
According to the news, police personnel barely find time to practice shooting after attending to routine jobs at police stations. What’s more, most even do not visit a gym to maintain fitness. No surprise that many lawkeepers sport bulging waistline, succinctly reflecting the ground reality.
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