Author: Deepak Joshi
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: November 16, 2002
Though the Titwala police ignored
it in its remand application in the Kalyan court today, Colonel Chitale's
Maharashtra Commando Academy has recruited a second batch of youngsters
to give military training. However, the training couldn't begin as both
Chitale and his commando trainers Sanjeev Atre were arrested by the police.
However, the controversy did not
seem to have affected Colonel Chitale, who returned to the Academy campus
to train the fresh batch, and said he would continue the work unless specifically
directed by the government not to do so.
Elaborating, Chitale said: "The
academy is not only to fight terrorism, but also crime, corruption, natural
calamities etc. My boys have helped the Pune police maintain law and order
during Ganesh festivals, Ambedkar Jayanti and other communally sensitive
festivals."
The group of youths who reached
the academy campus at Vasad village near Ambernath belonged to Satara in
Central Maharashtra. Said 23-year-old Prasad Jadhav: "We saw the Academy
ad in newspapers in Satara and decided to join. The ad did not mention
anything about suicide squads. We heard about it when we landed here."
Rohit Deshpande, 21-year-old graduate
from Satara, did not seemed ruffled by the newspaper reports about suicide
squads. "When I decided to join this academy, I knew I would have to sacrifice
my life for the country. Whether I am a part of a suicide squad or not
makes no difference.
Echoing the same opinion, Satish
Kale, another recruit from Satara, said it did not matter to him, if he
had to travel anywhere for any mission after training. "I am willing to
go anywhere after completing the training. Even if it is Pakistan."
A mechanical engineer, Pune-based
Colonel Chitale claimed he joined the Indian Army in June 1968, and retired
after a distinguished career in 1987. He participated in the 1971 war with
Pakistan and was deployed in the Sialkot sector. "I also was part of the
unfortunate Blue Star Operation at the Golden temple. Unfortunate, because
the operation should not have been conducted," Chitale said.
"After my retirement, I helped set
up military training schools at Raigad and Murbad. Organisations like Arya
Samaj from Haryana, RSS, VHP, and Bajrang Dal have invited me to conduct
these training programme. Pune's Symbiosis Institute also approached me
to introduce commando training in their curriculum," Chitale said.
