By Ashraf Padanna
KOCHI: Kochi is the first city in India to launch a unique initiative called Alert Kerala to involve local community in the fight against terror.
The campaign was launched at a star-studded show on Monday evening.
The event was attended among others by Miss World runner-up Parvathy Omanakkuttan, cricketer Sreeshant, singer K J Yesudas and Malayalam superstars Mammootty, Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi.
The police are recruiting people from a cross section of society including anglers, rickshaw drivers and rag pickers to be trained in terror detection methods to help security forces prevent terror attacks.
Kochi Police Commissioner Manoj Abraham said the initiative would make people vigilant against suspicious activities.
“We have set a good example for community policing. The police and public work in close co-operation and residents associations are actively participating in all policing activities to bring down crime in the city,” the commissioner said.
The police believe Kerala could be a likely target for terrorist attacks.
Investigations have revealed that some people from Kerala are involved either directly or indirectly in the act or in planning, supporting or training terrorists.
“Kerala and particularly its commercial hub of Kochi is likely to be a target of terrorist attacks,” Abraham said. “So we felt an urgent need to arm ourselves against rising fundamentalism and terrorism so that Kerala remains a peaceful and vibrant state.”
Alert Kerala seeks to make the public aware of the problems and the need to assist the police in preventing terror acts and to “wean away the disruptive elements from their unlawful acts to build a safer society for the future.”
The police and intelligence officers are now conducting a series of classes on observing and analysing extremists, detecting and disposing of explosives and general safety and security measures.
“Anglers are trained to track suspicious movements along the coastline to prevent any strike from the sea,” Abraham said. “All sections of people must keep their eyes and ears open so that terrorists do not strike in this part of the world.”
The police have been running a campaign through its New Year greeting cards to alert people against terrorism. The public are urged to pass on information about suspicious activities to the confidential hotline number or onto the interactive website www.kochicitypolice.org.
Posters, leaflets and a music album were also released at the show on Monday.
Information about residents in each area, including details of their frequent visitors, are being collected and updated regularly. Training is given to select residents to spot terror suspects and act swiftly with the aim of building an elaborate network of first-line monitors. |
