Kiran Bedi calls for nationwide civil defence mobilisation to aid counter-terrorism efforts

Kolkata, Nov 12 (PTI) Former top police officer Kiran Bedi on Wednesday called for immediate activation of a nationwide Civil Defence movement to assist the police in counter-terrorism efforts at the grassroots level.

Her statement, which came close on the heels of the Delhi blast that claimed 12 lives, was made while she was addressing Calcutta Chamber of Commerce Ladies Forum members on women's empowerment.

Describing Civil Defence as an "untapped potential waiting to be tapped", Bedi said that if implemented more effectively, the system could become a truly national mechanism to strengthen preventive security measures.

The former lieutenant governor of Puducherry proposed that women Civil Defence citizen wardens can work closely with local police, suggesting a coordinated operational framework where "police wear khaki and wardens wear their yellow shirts" under a "yellow alert" mode.

Bedi said the central task of the proposed initiative should be conducting house-to-house surveys to identify potential security threats.

"While the police primarily focus on detection and investigation, prevention at the grassroots level can be done by Civil Defence, citizen volunteers, and local community leaders working as a team," she said.

She stressed that these proactive surveys could help detect suspicious activity or storage of explosives.

"They can go house to house. Is there any godown storing explosives? How strong a survey can be done to prevent terrorism in future? I don't see any other way," Bedi said.

She added that Civil Defence wardens could become an essential support arm for law enforcement agencies, serving as the "right hand and left arm of the police." Bedi said women are best suited for carrying out local surveys due to their access and acceptability in households.

"Women can do this. Just women can do it. Let women go - nobody can say no. And you dare not assault a woman," she remarked.

Bedi who is engaged in various women empowerment programmes also has a "Civil Defence" training program for women.

She argued that involving women would strengthen intelligence gathering and community participation.

"They can go house to house and find out who is doing what. Such things can be detected and prevented," she said.

Bedi highlighted various other events for women including in rural development and "panchayat training programmes. PTI BSM NN