BSF jawan kills colleague in another incident of fratricide

On Sunday, five BSF personnel were killed when a constable opened fire on his colleagues in Amritsar.

New Delhi: A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan shot dead his colleague before killing himself with the service rifle at a border outpost (BOP) in Murshidabad (West Bengal), in another instance of fratricide in the force, perhaps indicating the kind of stress personnel have to deal with. On Sunday, five BSF personnel were killed when a constable opened fire on his colleagues in Amritsar.

The data shared by the ministry of home affairs in parliament in December 2021 states that 25 incidents of fratricide were reported in CAPFs in three years (from 2019 to 2021). (Representational Photo)

Monday’s incident took place at Kakmarichar BSF camp along the India-Bangladesh front, about 230 km from Kolkata. “In an unfortunate incident, at around 0645 hrs, head constable Johnson Toppo of the 117th battalion shot head constable H G Shekharan, and subsequently shot himself with his service rifle at border post Kakmarichar,” said a BSF spokesperson.

BSF has ordered inquiries into both incidents but the issue of fratricides, suicides and attrition due to occupational stress, unfriendly working conditions, inadequate leaves, and lack of social life has been plaguing the central armed police forces (CAPFs) such as BSF, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP), and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) for some time now. The total strength of CAPFs is close to a million personnel.

The data shared by the ministry of home affairs in parliament in December 2021 states that 25 incidents of fratricide were reported in CAPFs in three years (from 2019 to 2021). Of these, nine were reported in BSF, which guards India’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. The most incidents, 12, were reported from the CRPF, which is also the largest paramilitary force by numbers, with around 3.25 lakh personnel.

Apart from fratricides, 680 CAPF personnel committed suicide between 2015 and 2020.

Talking about the CRPF, which has a diverse role in law and order and counter-insurgency duties, a department related parliamentary committee of Rajya Sabha said in December 2019 that there was “high level of stress in the force because of continuous deployment in high intensity conflict areas, where they are compelled to live in pathetic living conditions”.

“This is forcing personnel of the country’s largest CAPF to suffer from mental and emotional stress,” the committee noted.

Citing the example of CISF, the parliamentary committee report noted that a constable in the aviation and metro security force gets promoted to the post of Head-Constable in 22 years in contrast to the eligibility period of 5 years, which is a huge demoralizing factor.

Officials in BSF, CRPF and ITBP echoed the sentiment. “There are no promotions, the working conditions at border outposts are pathetic and the senior officers and the government are not concerned about the well-being of jawans,” said a BSF officer, requesting anonymity.

A key reason for stress among forces such as BSF and CRPF has been inadequate leaves to meet the family.

The parliamentary committee report in December 2021 said defence forces personnel in battalions below officers’ rank (PBOR) are entitled to 30 days Casual Leave and CAPFs s (i.e BSF, SSB, CRPF, & ITBP) personnel in battalions of all ranks are entitled to 15 days even though they meet almost equal operational challenges, hardships and carry equal stress level.

Pankaj Kumar Singh, Director General BSF said leaves are not a problem in the force. “In fact, every time I visit a BSF unit, this is the first question I ask the jawans, but nobody has complained”.

Singh said he has insisted on following the buddy system in the units where jawans can share their problems with each other so that it can be resolved in time. “Yes, there is occupational stress but it’s a combination of personal problems and the work pressure.”

A different report in March 2020 by the parliamentary committee also noted that because there are cases when CAPFs personnel posted in the borders don’t get leave on time, there is “dissatisfaction, suicides, fratricides, etc”.

“The ministry of home affairs (MHA) announced last year that it would facilitate 100 days per year stay of CAPF personnel with their families, but nothing has been done about it,” said an officer, requesting anonymity.