National 5 (Spotlight Weekly)

Fighting A Lonely Battle

Security personnel are shedding their blood to maintain the law and order in the country

By A CORRESPONDENT

From preventing road accidents to giving psychological assurance to the citizens, ill equipped security personnel are actively working in various parts of the country including the remote districts to cities like Kathmandu facing death threats all the time.

Security post : Doing a thankless job?

Despite their tremendous contribution to prevent the society from heading towards total anarchy, they strangely have very few supporters. Nepal’s security personnel have become orphans in their own country. But they have never given up their sole duty to protect Nepalese citizens whatever the cost they have to bear.

If security personnel commit even a slight negligence in their duty, the country’s situation could turn from bad to worse. Be in a traffic intersection or police post outside the country, security personnel comprising of Royal Nepalese Army (RNA), Armed Police Force (APF) and Ordinary police are always alert.

The country has already seen the implication of what would happen in case security personnel fail to contain the demonstration. The September 1 incident was an indication that how the citizens of all groups became a victim of lawless mobs. Two media houses, mosques, public property and life were vandalized and normal life brought to complete paralysis on that day.

In the last ten years of insurgency, more than 2000 security personnel - majority of who were ill-equipped police personnel - have already given away their life. However, instead of respect and love from their fellow citizens and leaders, there seems to be calculated efforts to fan anti-security forces wave.

Because of the duties of the security personnel, all citizens are enjoying normal life, except in a few places in far away remote districts. All social and cultural processes are going on. Just a few weeks ago, police even recovered a huge amount of money looted from country’s major bank.

“It is very unfortunate to say that we don’t shed any tear to those who are dying to protect us. Because of dutiful police, I can wander through the streets and do marketing and other stuffs. My families are traveling in different parts of the country,” said a citizen. “If they are there to protect us and prevent the country from turning into anarchical, we must feel obliged to respect and love them.”

Security officials are too tired about the manner they receive the media coverage. "Our soldiers have been deployed all over the country. They have been doing their duties day and nights to give security to the citizens,” said a senior army officer on condition of anonymity. "If they will continue to treat dutiful fellows of security personnel the way they have been doing, the day is not far away when they will have to actually get the taste of what a truly failed state looks like. We cannot be irresponsible and inhuman as those cynical bunch of intellectuals including politicians and members of civil society. We will protect every one as long as we are there.”

In the past few weeks, more than three dozens police, army and armed police forces were killed in surprise attacks by the insurgents. Three police including an inspector two constables and more than 30 army personnel were killed in two separate incidents in western and central regions. Unfortunately, no one was there to eulogize their death.

“Our security personnel are performing their role more effectively with limited facilities. They are successful to weaken the Maoist,” said prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. “No country can provide total safety to the citizens amid rebels' strategy of hit and run.”

Although the CPN-UML - a major coalition partner - held marathon meeting of its central committee in the capital, they did not express any word about the present situation and loss of precious lives of security personnel.