Guwahati: A commando force, Assam Police's 'Beerangana' is being reshaped into a real women commando force. Along with new Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), fresh girls from different battalions have been brought under the commando force, said Assam Director General of Police (DGP), Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta.
The Beerangana commandos will be exclusively trained to work for the issues of the women.
Assam DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta recently reviewed the training and morale of the Beerangana force. "They are doing great and shaping up well," Mahanta said.
Beerangana, which means women warriors in Assamese, forms the very first all-woman silent drill commando unit of India.
The Beerangana commando unit was commissioned in the year 2013, to keep a check on the violence against women on the streets of Assam.
The Beerangana teams have been trained in 'silent drill', including martial arts, bike riding and horse riding along with other activities like handling of lethal and non-lethal arms.
The Beerangana commandos sport black uniform, along with violet caps. They have also been trained to act swiftly against the eve-teasers, or anyone who is seen disturbing a woman. The commandos carry a pouch along with them, which includes
non-lethal ammunition along with latest electronic devices, which are used to immobilise a target.
It was earlier mentioned that the commandos of Beerangana unit move around in plain clothes on special occasions to work as decoys in places which are known for crimes happening against women.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Assam's rate of crime against women is 166 in 2018, almost three times more than the national average rate of 58.8. In 2018, cyber crimes against women were also high in Assam with 295 cases.
Beerangana commandos are a relief for all the women of the state, helping them to feel safe and confident on the streets of Assam.