KOCHI: The state has developed its own strong commando force to meet any eventuality. But does anyone know how the members in the force communicate with each other during an operation? If you think the commandoes are relying merely on electronic gadgets to communicate, you are absolutely wrong. They often depend on signs similar to those used by the hearing impaired to communicate with each other during the operation.
Sources in the state commando force said that they have been trained in using sign language by the country’s elite commando force National Security Guards (NSG). “We have been given training by the NSG to use sign languages during an operation.
Though we carry latest state-of-the-art gadgets to communicate with our members, there is always a chance for the equipment to get damaged or enemies to tap the communication system,” said a senior officer in the commando wing.
“We have been advised to purely depend on sign languages to convey crucial information to our team members during an anti-terrorist operation. The NSG has developed its own specific signs and they have provided us training on using it, the official said, and added that each sign stands for an idea. “The commandoes are trained on sign languages as it would be handy for them to communicate an idea by just using two specific signs. We conduct regular refreshment courses for the members in the commando force to ensure that they remember the signs,” the sources said.
But the sign language could be used only if the operation is limited to a small area. Good visibility is a prerequisite for using the language.
During a major operation covering a large area, the commandoes usually depend on electronic modes of communication.