BSF's Crocodile Commandos to guard Sir Creek area

India's coastal vulnerability was exposed when 10 terrorists entered Mumbai from the Arabian Sea last year. But the government is now trying to put a system in place to ensure it is not caught on the wrong foot once again by a sea-borne threat.

To guard the western coast, a team of specialised marine commandos has been set up by the Border Security Force (BSF). The marine commando force, named Crocodile Commandos, has been set up to specially guard the Sir Creek area, considered the most sensitive coastal area between India and Pakistan.

The force has been given the most advanced training to guard the creek area at the most difficult situations.

Courtesy: Headlines Today

Rahul in Barmer

Source : TOI

Rahul dined with the BSF jawans after having a feel of how they brave past the odds to protect the country's borders. Rahul went on to visit various BSF chowkis bordering Pakistan in Barmer district and had thorough interaction with the jawans posted there.

Soon after Rahul was through with his political assignments in Barmer, he expressed desire to visit the border late in the evening. His visit was kept top secret and no politician was allowed to accompany him. IG, BSF (Gujarat frontier), DIG, AK Sinha, Vishnu Dutt, Barmer Sector, DIG, Narendra Gujjar took him to the borders at midnight where he visited the flood-lit chowkis.

It was learnt that Rahul visited Munabao, Marathahill, and few other BSF chowkis. "Throughout his visit, he spoke to the jawans and took stock of their life and the difficulties they face on the borders," said BSF sources. Later, he took his dinner at the conference hall of the Munabao chowki at midnight and returned to Barmer by 1.30 am.

Govt proposal for more powers to BSF to check illegal trade

• New Delhi, Nov 25 (PTI) The government today said it is planning to grant more powers to the BSF for checking illegal trade on the borders."The Government proposes to give more powers to BSF under Section 43 of Arms Act to check illegal trade on borders," Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Maken told Rajya Sabha today in a written reply."No representation has been received from BSF.However, the border force has offered comments on the proposal of conferring powers under Section 43 of Arms Act," Maken said.

No more 'Duty Unto Death' for the BSF
By: Anshuman G Dutta

Date: 2009-11-03

Place: Delhi
Border Security Force removes English version of motto, reverts to Hindi. Officers say the word 'death' in the phrase was affecting jawans The Border Security Force (BSF), the largest border guarding force in the country, has had a change of motto. Alarmed by the negative psychological effect the BSF's motto in English, 'Duty Unto Death', was having on its jawans, the force has silently removed it from use. Now, only the original Hindi version, 'Kartavya Jeevan Paryant' is being promoted.

"It happened sometimes back. Now our motto will be read only in the national language as 'Kartavya Jeevan Paryant,'" said a senior BSF official, wishing anonymity. He said the English version of the motto has been permanently removed from all use. "The motto of a force is printed everywhere. It finds a place on writing pads, calendars, diaries, cutleries and vehicles etc. It is a part of the daily life of the troops and gets recognised as the nature of the force," said the officer.
Interestingly, no one in the BSF remembers the exact date and sequence of events under which 'Duty Unto Death' got recognised as the English version of 'Kartavya Jeevan Paryant.' "It took over the original motto in Hindi and you will find the English version almost everywhere. But recently, it started appearing as if the force is promoting death instead of other factors required to excel in the profession," said a junior officer from BSF, wishing anonymity. Though the motto change had been planned earlier as well, this time the organisation has silently gone ahead with its plans. "The change is definite but gradual. We have started to replace the English version with the Hindi one, but it may take some time," said an officer. "The exercise may look insignificant to an outsider but for our jawans it matters a lot. They believe in the ethos of the force and live their lives by it. While English has never been their preferred language of communication, they were particularly wary of the 'death' message," said the officer. Death or life?An incident in Jammu and Kashmir highlighted the mental strain of a BSF jawan for believing in the motto written in English. A few years back after a BSF convoy faced an IED blast in J&K, militants circled the word 'death' in the motto with pebbles. "Similar incidents were reported from other areas also where militants attacked our men, convoys and camps. Later we realised that the motto instead of motivating our jawans was being used by militants to target their psychology. In fact it's almost derogatory that we were promoting death as our motto while it should have been duty throughout our lives," said the officer.

High Attrition Grips BSF

High attrition grips BSFVimal Bhatia, TNN 21 October 2009, 03:24am IST

World's largest para-military organisation, Border Security Force (BSF) suffers from highest attrition for quite a while. Experts cite reasons like low promotional avenues along with pay disparity in relation to their armed forces counterparts after the implementation of the Sixth pay commission report for the high attrition rate in the BSF. Every month at least 350-400 BSF jawans and officers seek premature retirement of which Rajasthan Frontier has not been far behind. A BSF source said the Centre does not realise the challenges our jawans and officers face every day while protecting the 7,000 km long border adjoining Pakistan and Bangladesh. "During 30-35 years of career, a BSF person could manage to stay not more than a few days with his family and the promotional avenues in comparison to the army personnel, it has been frustrating for them," said a source. According to an available data more than 900 jawans and officers from the Rajasthan Frontier alone left the job during October 1, 2008 to September 30 ,2009. The data released by BSF headquarters at New Delhi reads that in 2008 alone at least 4,400 people left the job while till June 2009, it has crossed 2,600 at the all-India level from the organisation. As the data reveals most of the personnel leave the job after completing 20 years in service just to take post retirement benefits while almost 40% of them leave the organisation well before 20 years of service on account of low wages, promotional avenues and tough living conditions and service conditions.

A retired director general BSF, M L Kumavat, accepted the fact of high attrition rate in the BSF but said "The trend has been arrested after the implementation of the pay commission report." Kumavat believes that not only the service conditions and pay disparity have not been the reasons for high attrition. "People leave the job as they get lucrative offers from the private sectors and also family pressures and responsibility plays its role," added Kumavat. Kumavat accepted the fact that a constable in the BSF takes at least 20 years to be promoted to head constable while a similar rank in the Army needs 7-8 years to reach that level.

Similarly, a second command officer in the BSF have not been included in the pay band 4 (P4) while his counterparts Lt colonel has been included. Agrees P S Nayar, general secretary, All India Central Para Military Forces and Services Welfare Association, who said "The difference between the salary of a jawan in BSF and Army is of at least Rs 5,000 a month meanwhile the difference goes up to Rs 22,000 in case of higher ranks. This disparity does more harm than good so far moral of BSF is concerned."

An email to HM

I am reproducing an email addressed to HM by a prahari.


Hon'ble Union Home Minister,
With due respect I request your personal indulgence on the subject.Some points are mentioned under, which is creating frustation in border security force:

1. An officer in Border Security Force remains a Deputy commandant after putting in 15 to 16 years of service and officers in other central paramilitary organisation enrolled in the same year through same CPOs exam is either Second-in-command(2IC) or Commandant. However army officer becomes lieutenant colonel in 12 years and gets pay band 4 however BSFofficer is likely to become 2IC after putting in 17 to 18 yrs of service but he would remain in pay band 3.

2. Army personnel posted anywhere like in Army HQ Delhi are authorised full 60 days of annual leave, 28 days of casual leave and ration money. However personnel posted in BSF HQ at places like Bandipur etc in Jammu and Kashmir and similar places in northeast get only 30 days of annual leave, 08 days of casual leave and no ration money. Now few questions that BSF personnel are generally asking but not getting the satisfactory replies is causing frustration in them.1 Are we not staying away from our families?2 Do we require lesser days of leave to spend time with our family?

3 The courses in BSF are like Army courses and the course covers conventional war subjects to give support to Army but still, why are we not at par with army ?

4 Our BSF act and rule is carbon copy of Army act and rule which says BSF is an armed force but why are we not considered as an armed force?

5 BSF personnel do not have any alternate tenure of peace and field like Army personnel and remain in Indian borders or line of control during their full service period then why our allowances are less than army personnel?

6 In all the places of militancy and line of control BSF units are under the operational command of Army Brigades doing the same task like Army then why BSF is not at par with Army where BSF constable is junior after putting in 20 years of service to an army lance naik who has put in 7 to 8 years of service?

7 Earlier the Identity of a BSF personnel in their villages was of a "Fauzi" and now they are neither fauzi nor police. Why this tragedy?

A Seema Prahari