KV Correspondent

CRPF troops take special training to tackle stone-pelters

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In order to tackle the stone pelting in the valley, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have come up with a special training for the Central Reserve Police Force, reports said.

The Jammu and Kashmir police has reportedly told the CRPF personal that the lives of the civilians are important and it is their duty to make sure the safety of the crowd.

According to the report, a Special Pre-Induction Training is going on in Jammu and Kashmir’s Nagrota and Hiranagar to handle the unlawful gathering. All the CRPF men who are posted in Kashmir have to go through a rigorous Pre- Induction training to handle different situations in the Valley, reports said.

The CRPF trains their men in special ‘Standard Operating Procedure’ (SOPs) that is to be followed when they are handling the situation of stone pelting.

According to the reports, the seven SOPs the CRPF is trained for are, negotiating with the crowd; talk to them and make them understand what they are doing is wrong.  They are told to use of water cannon. Reports said that they are also trained for the use of ‘tear smoke’, ‘Lathi’ Charge, use of Rubber Bullet (Lower Body), use of Pump Action Gun (Lower body) and use bullets on lower body parts. (Legs only)

Reports said that they are also trained for the use of ‘tear smoke’, ‘Lathi’ Charge, use of Rubber Bullet (Lower Body), use of Pump Action Gun (Lower body) and use bullets on lower body parts. (Legs only)

According to the report, the CRPF personnel have been strictly instructed to follow the SOPs and are in no way to stray from them. It is repeatedly drilled into them that the people in the crowd are their own and in no situation there should be any fatal injury to them. Apart from the training to handle stone pelting, a special training for physical and mental fitness is also being given.

“Our first priority is to always protect the lives of citizens in every situation. We always keep a human angle and it is our duty to protect the civilians. We can never compare a civilian’s action with a terrorist,” In-charge of CRPF Zonal Training Center in Nagrota (Jammu and Kashmir), D K Jha told to a news gathering agency.

He added that the situation in Kashmir is worse than any other state across the country and, therefore, it has been decided by the senior officers to open a Special Training School where the soldiers will be trained to tackle issues related to law and order.

“We train them ‘Progressive Use of Force’, where they are told to hold the crowd with patience and make them calm. Gradually, the force is increased and we try to disperse the crowd as patiently as possible without much pressure. According to the situation, developments take place,” Jha was quoted by the news agency.

Jha added that it is made sure that these soldiers remain mentally and physically fit.

“We also want to change their perception so that they spontaneously act on the field in any situation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Special Director General of CRPF Jammu and Kashmir Zone, S N Shrivastava said that under the Standard Operating Procedure the trainees are taught to use less force to disperse the unlawful assembly. “The incidents of stone pelting are taking place since a long time now and our soldiers are tackling it efficiently,” he added.


KV Correspondent

Kashmir Correspondent cover all daily updates for the newspaper

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