Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Oct 13: "After the November 26 attack on Mumbai, India has given additional thrust to the security of the country's coast. Now, the security of the coast has been beefed up by utilizing the services of all available sources, like the navy and air force, Coast Guard, Coastal Security Police squads, fishermen and the local policemen. Because of their organized efforts, the coastal security has received a boost," said western range inspector general of police, Gopal B Hosur.

He was speaking, after inaugurating a three-day training camp being imparted to the police officers of Maldives at the Coastal Security Police Station located at Tannirbavi here, under the joint aegis of the Karnataka Police Academy, Mysore and the city and Udupi units of the Coastal Security Police Force, on Monday October 12.

Hosur explained, that the union government has done its bit by setting up 74 police stations across the coast of the country, appointing necessary personnel and providing infrastructural facilities like speed boats. For Karnataka, 12 speed boats have been allotted. In the coming days, the coastal security will turn more professional and efficient, he added. He reasoned, that the government had to adopt a different strategy, to effectively combat the terrorists and hired soldiers affected changes in their traditional ways and  chose to use the water route to attack the country.

While pointing out that both India and Maldives have several similarities as far as their long coast, problems, threats and challenges are concerned. Many powers have been eying Maldives, an island nation. Hence, the policemen of that country need training in coastal security, he felt.

Coast Guard commandant P S Jha, in his address, said that the Coast Guard is always prepared to face challenges, with the assistance of other security systems.

Coastal Security Police Force superintendent of police, Bhagawan Das, welcomed. Deputy superintendent of police(DySP), S B Nayak, proposed vote of thanks. Inspector Mukund Nayak compered the programme. Central Industrial Security force deputy commandant Vashisht, Panambur DySP Girish and deputy director of fisheries department, Suresh Kumar, were present.

Ten policemen including four chief inspectors and six sub-inspectors from Maldives are being trained at the Karnataka Police Academy in Mysore. Out of a year's training, the chief inspectors have completed 11 months, while the sub-inspectors joined the training programme just four months back.  One of the trainee chief inspectors, Mohammed Nadeem, informed that two teams of the Maldives policemen had been earlier trained at the Indian Police Academy and Punjab police Academy. The third team is being trained in Karnataka, he explained. He added, that the policemen of Maldives are a part of the army of that country, and that after getting training in India, a separate body has been constituted for the police force there, which provides for armed training too, he said. He revealed, that in Maldives, policemen get only six months of training.

Nadeem recalled that India had offered protection to his country when Sri Lanka had attacked in the year 1980. Since then, the two countries have been working closely and India has entered into an agreement with Maldives as regards imparting of training to the policemen of that country is concerned, he said, adding that terrorism, drugs, naxalism etc., are the other problems the policemen of his country have to contend with.