Media report said police have taken a major step to strengthen rural policing by equipping people with bamboo stick and whistle to work as vigilante against militants as the spate of target killing is now spreading at village level. Senior police officials equipped a group of 40 local people at Surajgonj Bazar of Chuadanga district Tuesday. At a similar function the Police Super also distributed bamboo stick and whistle at Badargonj Bazar of the district in which ruling party men were primarily mobilized to come forward and demonstrate their strength to fight terrorism. Similarly over the last two days Magura District Police Super has also equipped people of the Hindu community at seven temple areas highlighting the government new move to guard against militant attacks and their target killing. As the news in the media flashed out Wednesday, many have raised question about the safety of ordinary people from such organized groups and more so when they are ruling party men having access to police protection to take on any one on suspicion while attacking political opponents. The apprehension is high in the air at a time when police are carrying out countrywide crackdown against militants and the new groups will join now to crack on the people. Many fears that a situation may eventually develop in the name of hunting militants in which not only police will continue to arrest thousands people but also that such bamboo wielding people will beat opponents of the government putting them in jail or ending in killing. It was police so long responsible for people’s safety but they will have local vigilantes now who will terrorize the people. Let the government be right in stopping militancy. By encouraging civilians, whether government supporters or not, to use sticks for fighting militancy is a very simplistic way. There will be more violence but not less militancy. Because many have political grievances to deal with politically. To match violence with violence increases violence.We want police to be more professional.
