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T. Murrali

Chennai, Dec. 8 The role of the ‘security’ at the gate is changing from that of mere ‘watch and ward’ to a protector of lives and property, and the recent terrorist attacks are accelerating the pace of this change.

The need of the hour is an able-bodied and well-trained crop of young men, armed adequately to protect men and materials. Embedded within this need is a call for modernising an archaic legislation, the Arms Act of 1962.

Ask Mr Shibu Isaac, Chairman of Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI) (Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry Chapter) and he says that while there is no panic among the business establishments here in the wake of the Mumbai terrorist attacks, companies have slowly begun to express concern.

“Terrorism has spread to all parts of the country and what we have seen is only the tip of the iceberg,” Mr Isaac told Business Line, calling for doing up the Arms Act.

“Under the said Act, it is very difficult for any common man to get an arms license. Ex-servicemen could be given licences to possess permitted arms. A database of such persons (should be maintained by) a nodal state security agency, which could get such people to act in civil defence emergencies,” suggests Mr Isaac.

This is all the more necessary now, because companies have been requesting security agencies to send armed personnel. Such requests are trickling in, says Major K.S. Mani, Director, Ravindra Services Pvt Ltd.

The objective of private security services is to protect men and materials, but the question is whether the person is equipped to provide security. Mr Mani wants private security services companies treated on par with the Central Industrial Security Force and the Central Reserve Police Force, so that the companies are also able to attract quality people.

Mr V. Devarajan, Managing Director, Premier Security & Detective Bureau Pvt Ltd, puts some thought in sardonic humour: “The security man of today is a uniformed doll.” He calls for “empowering” the private security personnel.

Meanwhile, in Tamil Nadu a nucleus of co-operation of the state police and private security industry is beginning to take shape. According to Mr Isaac, the police will train top and middle level management personnel of private security services. “Eventually, the private security services will become an extended arm of the Tamil Nadu police,” Mr Isaac said. He calls for similar co-operation in other States also, so that the 6 million-strong private security industry becomes a protective force for the country.

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