Delhi and Mumbai need Police Cavalry

            In this age of Web 2.0 and 24*7 electronic media large scale mobilization of people against grievances genuine or otherwise is increasing by the day. Recent experiences have shown how miscreants can hijack a protest and turn it into a riot.

            Police officers are often caught in a dilemma of tackling the situation effectively and keeping the casualty low and at the same time protecting their personnel and keeping their morale high. A game changer in such a scenario would be deploying police horsemen.

1.     Visibility: The sheer sight of a mounted Police officer strikes terror in the hearts of mischief makers. The height advantage a horseman has gives him prominent visibility and tremendous tactical advantage while tackling rioters.

2.     Cavalry Charge: The worst nightmare of any police force is to face united columns of protestors. As long as their lines are united, the protestors have a high morale. Breaking these lines becomes a pre-requisite to tackle the situation effectively.

A cavalry charge by only a few horsemen can attain this purpose easily. The ground force can then disperse the mob.

3.     Rescue: Riotous mobs often surround and assault a few policemen. The sheer number of people prevents others from rescuing them in time. In such circumstances a charge by even a single horseman can disperse the mob and save his colleague.

4.     Morale of the force: The life of policemen in India is particularly tough and to top it they are often deployed to confront mobs determined to lynch them. This naturally lowers their morale.

Even the great Napoleon swore by the significance of morale for a fighting force. The presence of cavalry force will give the much needed boost.

5.     Lesser casualties of protesters: Protests are cyclic in nature. When the mob goes out of control, police have to fire bullets leading to deaths and injuries. This further incites anger of not only those on the streets but also those hitherto untouched by the protest. Media fans this anger by hammering a partial coverage of the episode.

Using cavalry forces will minimize the need of firing and prevent casualties.

6.     Global Practice: Police forces of all major cities of UK, USA, Australia etc. use cavalry forces. Even Israel which has many internal security issues relies heavily on its mounted police force.

7.     Other ‘fringe’ benefits: Cavalry force can also be used for ceremonial purposes, improving the physical fitness and confidence of police personnel, crowd management at political rallies, religious congregations, tourist places, traffic snarls etc.

A handsome country horse today costs 70 to 80 grants and its conditioning requires around 7 to 8 grants per month. In such a small amount our Police can maintain a highly motivated and dedicated member in your team.

Whether Bucephalus of Alexander or Chetak of Maharana Pratap, history is replete with examples of how faithfully this noble animal has served its masters. It’s high time that our metropolitan police forces take cognizance of this fact.