Gujarat ATS to train common man to counter terror acts

The necessary groundwork has already been done,and the operation will be launched by August this year.

The programme,which is being organised in collaboration with the Global Care Organisation (GCO),an NGO run by an IIM-A alumnus,and creative agency Lowe Lintas,aims to tackle terror using module-based training programmes for the common people.

The training programmes will include sessions on identifying suspicious persons in public,minute details about suspicious persons that should be noted in order to help the police track them and what to do if caught in the middle of a terrorist attack.

People will also be told about weapons and explosives that the terrorists use,and the national and international terror acts of the past.

“In the first stage,we plan to train about 2,000 volunteers,that would mainly include school and college students. Some of these selected volunteers,who will form the core group,will in turn train other people in training camps that will be organised in other cities and districts in the state,” said ATS chief,IGP Ajay Tomar.

He added: “Common people like senior citizens,schoolchildren,housewives,autorickshaw drivers,employees of shopping malls and others,if trained properly,can be the eyes and ears of the police. There will be different training modules for different sets of people.”

Training modules under the operation will include the usage of pictures,videos and graphical representation,closely knit together with response evaluation.

“The evaluation will be done over a scale called TPI (Terror Preparedness Index),which tests how well a person would react when faced with an actual terror strike,” Tomar added.

Other significant material to be included in the modules are the trails terrorist leave,renting of homes,securing the surroundings,identifying a person and vehicle,hostage crisis,answering help,reporting to the authorities at the earliest and various terror operatives in India.

To add to it,GCO is also designing an Integrated Voice Response System (IVRS) and web portal to take the training even to the telephone and Internet.

The operation also plans to spread awareness about terrorism and terrorist activities through posters,sticker and banners which will be put up on airports,railway stations,bus stands and other public places across Gujarat.