Counter insurgency school for Army

GUWAHATI, August 5: Lack of adequate knowledge of the security force personnel engaged in the counter-insurgency operations about the Assamese way of life has led to many problems including unnecessary harassment of innocent people. But to do away with the problem, Army authorities here have started a training programme for the security personnel coming from outside. The general officer commanding of the Tezpur-based 4 Corps, Lt Gen DB Shekatkar, told this correspondent that a counter-insurgency training school has been opened in Solmara in Sonitpur district where Armymen and the personnel of other security forces are imparted training on different aspects of the Assamese way of life before they are engaged in counter-insurgency operations in different parts of the state. The six-week course has 26 sessions on Assamese culture. The areas covered under the course include human rights, religious sentiments of the people of the state, the economy of Assam, how to behave with the people. Apart from the Army's own officers, judicial magistrates, academicians, members of the State Human Rights Commission and other prominent persons are invited to deliver lectures on different aspects of Assamese culture. So far about 6,000 security personnel have completed the course. Assam Police personnel are also imparted training here, but the training capsule for them is different since there is no point training on local culture and customs. The Assam Police personnel are trained in other aspects of counter-insurgency operations. The GOC admitted that the language barrier proved to be a major drawback in counter-insurgency operations as the people belonging to the interior areas cannot be expected to know Hindi. He said it was better for security force personnel to know the local language rather than expecting locals to know the language of security forces.