Chhattisgarh Project

A large number of policemen are killed or injured every year in the line of duty, to which the public remains largely uninformed. In Chhattisgarh naxalites have killed and injured several police officers (See the table below). The violence and the counter violence has heightened since middle of 2005. The police personnel are highly demoralised when personnel are killed and there have been incidences when personnel have refused to serve in these conflict areas. While CHRI has conducted police training and sensitisation it was shared by the cutting edge ranks with the facilitators that since they have access to poor weapons, poor insurance schemes for their families and the fact that several personnel are out of weapon training practise and are medically unfit seems to have made the situation worse for them to serve in these area.

Flawed recruitment processes, poor training, long hours of duty, stressful work, poor living and working conditions, low pay, meagre allowances and little recognition, all lead to de-motivation and mental and physical breakdowns. Staff shortages are severe in Chhattisgarh police resulting in shift duties being longer for existing personnel.