Professional trainer Kiran Dembla was roped in to train house marshals on how to deal with unruly legislators at the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. Many controversies over Jagan and Telangana have provoked many unruly scenes in the house; in last week’s session, business was conducted only for four hours in five days. Seventy marshals were trained by Kembla, a martial arts expert to take on the neta log. Apart from being put through the paces with pushups, abdomen exercises and body weight workouts, the marshals are also being trained in the art of carrying troublesome khaddarwalas out of the House.
It was the Hyderabad City Police’s idea to impart martial arts training to the marshals. The marshals, mostly police constables drafted from various wings of the city police, sweated it out for nearly three hours every day—mornings and evenings—at the Goshamahal police stadium. They said martial arts techniques are necessary while physically lifting MLAs, who tend to have delicate constitutions.
“We have to skillfully lift the VIPs without hurting them though the fact remains that more often than not it is the marshals who get hurt in the process. Moreover, many of the VIPs are stout, have various ailments,’’ said a police officer. He said Dembla’s services were drafted to teach the marshals the art of the delicate grip. “Basically, we are training them on how to grip an individual while hefting him up. The objective is to ensure that the individual does not get hurt in the process,’’ Dembla told The Sunday Standard.
Carrying MLAs away is not the marshal’s most difficult task. Sometimes suspended MLAs may have to be dragged out, kicking and screaming. Women marshals have to be taught how to handle women MLAs. Women MLAs, however, rarely have to be carried out. Besides martial arts, the marshals are being given body weight training to get fit. “They are being made to do various exercises like jumping jacks, push-ups and abdomen exercises,’’ Kembla said.
The fitness expert said the marshals have been given diet charts. “They will have to remain standing for long hours and therefore a good diet is necessary. The marshals are doing well,’’ said Kiran, who runs a city gym.
-Sunday Standard