SHILLONG: The bullet proof vests have turned out to be a burden than a comfortable protective gear for the Meghalaya police personnel, who are engaged in anti-insurgency operations.
The weight of current bullet proof vests running into several kilograms and lack of sufficient funds to buy thinner outfits is a cause of concern when the GNLA and other militant groups are on the offensive against the policemen in Garo Hills and the border areas.
In contrast, the top leader of GNLA Sohan D Shira was seen in pictures circulated to media wearing a bullet proof vest and a few bullet proof vests were also seized by police from the camps of the GNLA militants in the past.
The five policemen, who died under attack from GNLA on Tuesday, were not wearing any bullet proof jackets.
Leave alone ordinary policemen, the SWAT personnel too during operations do not prefer the bullet proof vests due to their weight.
One cannot walk or run properly with the current set of bullet proof jackets, a senior police official said adding that in the operations against the militants, many SWAT members do not prefer to wear them as they are heavy.
“It is not that we do not have bullet proof jackets, but the problem is that wearing them affects the free movement of men on the ground especially in the difficult terrain of Garo Hills”, the official said.
He also added that it would be costly affair to purchase thin bullet proof jackets.
When contacted, the DGP PJP Hanaman admitted that the bullet proof jackets are heavy and hence many police personnel are not using them.
Bullet-proof vehicles: If the five policemen in South Garo Hills had taken the bullet proof vehicle which was available at Baghmara, there would not have been any casualty of the policemen who were enroute to Tura from Baghmara.
“There was a provision to use the bullet proof vehicle, but it was not taken and there should have been a closer supervision in this regard by the officer concerned”, Hanaman said.
The five policemen were travelling in a Gypsy when the GNLA ambushed their vehicle.