Combating terror on television

It’s going to be a reality show of a different kind. It’ll feature an ex-army commando, an ex-member of the paramilitary forces and 16 civilians. Now, for the most interesting bit — members from the armed forces will use real guns in the course of their training, which is a first on TV.

Members of the armed forces taking part in the show are captain Albert Louis Singh (ex-9 Para-Commando and member of the Special Forces, Indian Army) and captain Dharamveer Singh (officer from the Indian Army). Though both have quit the services recently, Albert doesn’t find anything wrong in putting in his real-life army experiences on a reality show.

“I will be putting the 16 civilians (contestants) through the art of commando training. I have set the tasks exactly the way I was put through in the army. They’ll be put through exactly the same drill,” he says.

The training might invite criticism because the exact army drill for commandoes will be shown on screen. The army generally keeps such commando drills a secret.

“The training has been modified in a way to equip the contestants in the art of terrorism warfare,” adds Albert.

Heather Gupta, channel head of the TV channel airing the show, says, “It is a sad sign of the times that terrorism is part of our lives and minds today. As important as fighting the acts of violence is fighting the fear that terrorism causes. By taking 16 young civilians and training them to be commandos, putting them through the trials of a lifetime, we hope to create a new breed of young people — confident and able to face the most extreme physical and mental challenges, without hesitation.”

She even confirms that the participants will be given real guns. “The show will see them using real weapons,” she ends.