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'Is it a crime to train with dummy swords?'

Syed Firdaus Ashraf in Badlapur

Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Jayant Chitale on Friday asserted he had done nothing wrong or unlawful by setting up the 'Hindustan suicide squad'.

Visibly incensed by the arrest of his deputy, 'commandant' Sanjeev Atre, at Titwala for the illegal possession of arms, Lt Col Chitale asked, "My boys were training with dummy swords and spears. Is it a crime to do that in this country?"

Speaking to a few reporters at Vasat village in Badlapur, Thane district, the angry ex-armyman said, "I fail to understand why the police has arrested my commandant. We are not keeping real swords and spears. And, is this the way the police treat people who want to serve the country?"

"I had sent letters to the Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani about my academy. I got acknowledgement letters from all of them," he said, brandishing copies of it.

"So, you tell me, how is it a crime to start such a academy? No one raised any objections earlier," he added.

A visit to the training camp, situated at Ambernath near Badlapur, reveals facilities for physical education, swimming and shooting [with air rifles].

Fifteen 'commandos' have already been trained, Lt Col Chitale said.

Any Indian can join the 'suicide squad', provided he can shell out Rs 1,500 as registration fees. He has to also take a pledge, which says, 'I, Commando ______ am a member of Hindustan's suicide squad. I swear upon my motherland and resolve that I will attack and destroy the goondas, the corrupt, the pro-Pakistanis, Pakistan and other enemies of the nation as per the orders of the dictator of the Maharashtra Military Force, as they are weakening the nation. I will never misuse the commando education imparted to me. Jai Hind.'

After a recruit completes the 15-day training, he gets a certificate from the academy.

Asked for reasons for joining the academy, Vikaram Mane, a recruit in the camp, said, "I have joined so that I can get into the Indian Army in future. And by doing so I can destroy Pakistan if there is a war."

Rohit Deshpande, another recruit from Satara in Maharashtra, said, "I read about this academy on August 19 in an article. I was deeply impressed and decided to join it immediately."

Asked if he was willing to enter Pakistan to indulge in terrorist activities, Kumar said, "I have no idea about that. It all depends from individual to individual in this camp."

Mane and Deshpande, however, were clear that they would not cross the border and go to Pakistan without joining the Indian Army. "We are ready to die for the country, but will not indulge in terrorist activities in Pakistan," they said.

When asked to comment on their views, Lt Col Chitale said, "They have just come to the camp. You come after 15 days and talk to them. You will definitely find a change in their attitude. And that is the precise reason this camp has been set up for. It will condition the minds of the youth."

Asked if he was justified in brainwashing the minds of the young people to commit suicide, he replied angrily, "What is wrong in it? They are doing so for a good cause. And we should be proud that they are going to serve our country by weakening Pakistan."

Asked about reports that his squad was set up as a result of the call given by Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray to form 'Hindu suicide squads', he said, "You ask those who are wrongly portraying my image. I have formed this squad with the help of every community. There are Muslims and Christians in my squad. The newspapers are writing wrong things about me because they want to sell their papers. I am also saying that my suicide squad will also help prevent riots."

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena reiterated the need for 'Hindu suicide squads'.

"We have to fight terror. Tough decisions may have to be taken, which may temporarily infringe on freedom," head of the Shiv Sena's army welfare cell, Lt Gen (retd) P N Hoon said.

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