Home guards can't shoot

On their 63rd Raising Day today, here's a home truth the 2,700 Home Guards in Mumbai have never fired a single bullet or handled sophisticated weaponry

On their 63rd Raising Day today, here's a home truthu00a0the 2,700 Home Guards in Mumbai have never fired a single bullet or handled sophisticated weaponry

There are 2,700 Home Guards on duty in Mumbai every day.

When the Home Guards were originally raised in 1946 they were supposed to have been equipped with and trained to use older weapons such as the .303 rifle and the .22 rifle.

Yet, none of the 2,700 Home Guards on duty have fired a gun in the last 20 years.

They do know how to load and unload a weapon, but without bullets and obviously, have never ever visited a firing range.

Arms And The Man: A Home Guard controls traffic during a VIP bandobast.

And that's not all. On the Home Guards' 63rd Raising Day today, this is a story of criminal apathy in the face of constant terror threats.

The role of the Home Guards was to serve as an auxiliary unit to the police in maintenance of law and order and internal security, but while the state and the police machinery have procured sophisticated weapons and have been given advance training especially in the wake of the 26/11 terror attacks, the state Home Guards have been consistently ignored.

Said a senior Home Guards officer, "We assist the police in maintaining law and order, but we cannot fight terrorists with lathis."

The 2,700 Home Guards have just 380 guns between them and most are in bad shape seldom oiled or maintained.

20 years ago

Said an officer, "Twenty years ago, the Home Guards would get 50 rounds each for target practice, but the ammunition supply has completely dried up since.

Not a single Home Guard in service now has ever used a gun. They only know how to load and unload a gun, but that too without bullets."

The Home Guards officer added, "While the Mumbai police are being trained in handling and firing sophisticated MP-5, carbine and SLR rifles, Home Guards recruits are only shown the weapons."

Lost Cause? Wife of Home Guard constable Mukesh B Jadhav holds a photo of her husband, who was shot dead by terrorist Mohammad Ajmal Qasab at CST in the 26/11 attacks. Home Guards in the city.

Paltry pay

Home Guards are paid Rs 150 for an eight-hour duty and an extra Rs 50 as replacement allowance if they work for more than 10 hours.

They're also paid Rs 3 towards laundry provided they work continuously for a minimum of three and a maximum of seven days.

And even these payments are usually delayed by months.

Deputy Commandant General (Home Guards) B N Raut said, "The department is only entitled to five per cent of the funds sanctioned for police modernisation."

Downplay the Issue

While he admitted that the force did not have any sophisticated weapons, Raut tried to downplay the issue stating that Home Guards do voluntary service and unlike other forces they are not hired on a monthly salary.
u00a0
"They are given a daily allowance for their hardship, which is usually paid to them on receipt of funds from the state government."

Meanwhile, State Home Minister R R Patil is expected to attend the ceremonial march today at Dhobi Talao.

7,500
Home Guards vacancies

3,500
Vacancies filled

2,700
Home Guards on dutyu00a0

5,000
The number of Home Guards Mumbai needs on duty every day

Did You Know?
The Home Guards Organisation was reorganised in India in 1962 after the Sino-Indian War even though it had existed in smaller units individually in some places.

Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala
The only two states which do not have Home Guards