Museum on mounted police on the anvil

KOLKATA: Kolkata Police is coming up with a unique museum on its mounted police in December.

Commissioner of Kolkata Police Soumen Mitra, himself a noted historian, will inaugurate the museum.

The museum will have a detailed story on the setting up of the mounted police by the British way back in 1840, much before the Sepoy Mutiny. It started with two 'sawars' under a Dafadar to carry messages and inform the harbour master when any ship was sighted. In 1842, arrangements were made for mounted policemen to patrol the maidan area. During soccer matches and cricket matches, at the Ranji Stadium, mounted police are deployed to maintain law and order. When daily tickets were sold for Calcutta Football League and IFA Shield, mounted police personnel control the queue from early morning.

During VVIP duties and during the parades that are held on the Republic Day and Independence Day on Red Road, the participation of mounted police is a must.

The museum will have a statue of a policeman on horseback outside the museum whose final touches are being given. Interesting stories related to the mounted police will also be put up at the museum.

The museum will attract people from all walks of life particularly students and research scholars on the history of Kolkata. As Deputy Commissioner Mitra had opened the Police museum on APC Road and later as ADG (Operations and Training) he set up at Swami Vivekananda police Training Academy at Barrackpore.