Sunita Saldhana ... on Security Manpower

Last week a 6 year old girl was raped, in the park opposite my house.

She was picked up from her home and taken to the park.

When I heard the news, I froze with panic and disbelief.

Yes, I know. These things happen. But not bang opposite your house. Not when the gate of the park and the gate of the society you live in face each other.

Along with the feeling of horror for what the poor child had undergone, a million questions exploded in my mind.

How did the rapist enter her house? Was he someone known to the family? How did he manage to take her from her house to the park without anyone being aware of it? Well, it was around 2 a.m., so I assume that there wasn’t anyone on the roads.

But what about the security guards both at the municipal garden and at the gates of my society? Or the society next to ours? What were they doing?

True the watchman of the garden heard her cries and ran to see what was happening. He may have saved her life, but he couldn’t prevent the rape.

How did the rapist enter the garden? Why weren’t the gates locked?

And where were the watchmen? Where were the security guys?

But even as I asked myself the question, I realised it was a futile one. How many times had I taken my dog down for a walk at night and found the gates wide open with the security guard fast asleep and snoring?

And most of the watchmen are puny or old. In fact the one at my parent’s society is as old as my dad, and literally shuffles instead of walking.

How do we expect such old feeble people to guard us; to take care of our security? They seem to be in need of being taken care of! Do they have the ability to ward off a burglar or worse? More importantly would they be willing to take the risk? It definitely doesn’t look like that.

Most of them have day jobs and are paid a pittance for this second job of theirs. Why would they be invested in it? Why would they want to go out of the way or risk their lives protecting someone who doesn’t even think it is worth paying for that protection?

If we want our security guards and watchmen to be alert and diligent shouldn’t we take them seriously? Shouldn’t we look askance at ourselves and be willing to pay what it is worth to get guards who are not only physically fit for security duty, but also trained to protect. Isn’t your life worth that?