CHANDIGARH: The deep resent ment in the ranks of the Punjab police commandos being sent for anti-insurgency operations outside the state has come to the fore as ‘over 50 men of the battalion recently sent to Assam have moved the Punjab and Haryana High ‘Court en masse to challenge the legal validity of the order, it is reliably learned. The decision of these commandos, including one inspector, four sub inspectors and several head constables to petition the High Court comes as a major embarrassment to the Punjab police which had maintained all along that the commandos had no objection to being sent outside. It is now very evident that it was a highly disgruntled force that had boarded the special train for special operational duty in Assam amidst tall claims by the top b ‘of the state police. Commenting ‘on the situation, a senior officer who chose to remain anonymous said, “A force that leaves its heart in the plains of Punjab cannot be expected to deliver the goods in the jungles of Assam.””
Sources disclose that discontent had begun brewing in the commando ranks and even senior officers had privately expressed their dissent ever since it became known that the decision to post them outside the state was imminent. According to reliable sources, the Center had asked for some units of the India Reserve Battalions (IRB) from Punjab to be deployed in Assam and elsewhere. The Center provides 50% of the expenditure ‘of these battalions and can requisition them for use in other states.
Apparently since most of the IRB units in Punjab have still not completed their training, the police Leadership decided to send units of the Punjab police instead.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 18, 1994
