Kerala: Police buglers play a gloomy tune amid staff shortage, workload

The force that once had more than 100 buglers on its payroll now has only 21.

Kerala Police too hold bugle calls close to heart, but at the expense of those playing it. Photo | Express Illustrations

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For the men in uniform, bugle calls form an indispensable part of their lives as the short tunes herald the daily activities and offer a link to rich military traditions. Not just that, it also evokes the memories of the sacrifices made by their compatriots, stirring up passion and reverence.

Kerala Police too hold bugle calls close to heart, but at the expense of those playing it. The force that once had more than 100 buglers on its payroll now has only 21. And the manpower deficit has been taking a huge toll on those playing it — physically and mentally.

“The job has become a torment for us. We are forced to play the instrument on various occasions without having enough people. Senior officers pay scant regard to the fact that the persons playing the instrument remain the same even when the occasion varies. While on duty, we hardly get breathing space. And when we go home on leave, we are worried about being called back for duty at short notice,” said a bugler, who preferred anonymity.

The buglers in the state police are attached to the armed battalions and camps. They are expected to play the instrument during farewell, funeral and passing out parades, and during guard of honour duties for VIPs. And when there is no bugle duty, they will have to turn up for other regular police work.

A source with the police said around five buglers are set to retire next year, which will further complicate the situation. Also, two other buglers are mulling over voluntary retirement owing to the mounting workload, the source said. 

‘Proposal to appoint interns got nowhere’

“If manpower thins further, the situation will worsen. It will badly affect the mental and physical well-being of the buglers as they won’t be getting adequate rest. Already, many have domestic issues as they are not getting enough time to spend with their family,” the source added.

The last recruitment to the post happened in 2012, said another bugler. “At its peak, the police had about 120 buglers among its ranks. Among the 20-odd men we now have, some are on medical leave, adding burden of those on duty. Apart from parades on occasions such as Independence Day and Republic Day, we have to play during the funerals of the policemen, ex-cops and the state award winners,” the bugler added.

Highly-placed sources said there was a proposal in the past to appoint interns, who have undergone regular training in bugle, in the force to take the load off the buglers. “But the proposal reached nowhere,” said a source.