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What is a provost
unit? It is a term used to denote a Police unit, which is a part of the
Military force. A Provo unit has an onerous duty to maintain good order and
discipline among the ranks of the Armed Forces. Like all Air Forces, The Indian
Air Force also has a string of these Police units located at strategic places
all over India.
Air Force Provost
Unit
One of the units is located at Calcutta. An Air Force Provost unit has a complement of
Mahindra jeeps and Nissan Jongas. In addition all police units will have a
complement of at least 12 motorcycles. These are normally the Bullets, a 350 cc
machine manufactured by Royal Enfield India.
Commanding a provost unit at Calcutta earlier on was a
challenging task. Firstly because Calcutta and West Bengal was ruled by the Left front, a conglomeration
of parties who believe in some form of communism. These parties have an allergy
to the military; at least it was very much in evidence about two decades back.
I am told nothing much has changed and the left front led by the Communist
party of India (Marxist) still thinks of the Armed Forces as a capitalist evil.
Even the common man in Calcutta is so swayed by Marxist rhetoric that he also
considers the Armed forces an anathema.
Commanding the Unit
in Marxist Heartland
I had the distinction to command no 6 Provost and Security
Unit at Calcutta. To be frank most Air force officers are not exactly delighted
to get a command of this unit in the Marxist heartland, because of the inherent
difficulties that crop up in this city.
One of the difficulties was in the apprehension of
deserters. Even if you get accurate information about a deserter, it will be
difficult to arrest him as the local Marxist cadre will form a shield around the
deserter and thwart any police party sent to arrest him. I recollect one
incident, when we had received information that a deserter was at a place 100
km from Calcutta. The Police party duly reached the spot and saw the deserter
playing cricket. He was tactfully called to one side and quickly arrested. Just
as the jeep was moving away with the deserter, the local Marxists got wind of
this and started amassing to free the culprit. Another 3 minutes and there
would have been a violent clash, but luckily the Provost party could bring the
deserter back to Calcutta.
Thus commanding a provost unit in Calcutta can be a trying
experience, but something that one can remember when one is fading away from
the Air force into the sun set.
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