Indore: Usually, an India shooting competition is organised here every year. However, due to the coronavirus outbreak, the last shooting competition was organised in 2019. Even this year, considering the protocols, the competition has not been organised. In 2019, women shooters were invited for the first time and, proving themselves as the best shooters in the Border Security Force (BSF), Bhilavekar Nisha and Durgi Hansdas were among the top women shooters who bagged two gold medals in the Inter-Frontier Platoon Weapon Shooting Competition competing against the best shooters in the BSF, including experienced men.
However, shooting practice and training continues at the BSF. Ahead of Independence Day, a contingent of more than 100 BSF personnel reached the BSF Training School in the Rewati Range, Indore, to practice shooting in the dark. The contingent will practise Delta and Alpha target shooting here. An important part of their training is shooting in the dark, often referred to as ‘Chandmari’. “The practise of Chandmari is rather risky and fascinating. One second, everything is dark, quiet and peaceful and the next, it is war time,” says Anil Srivastava, deputy commandant, BSF.
As it got dark, a para-bomb was thrown up to the sky from 51 mortars. In no time, a yellow light came out tearing through the darkness. As soon as the captain blew the whistle, bullets started firing. Hundreds of rounds were fired in a few seconds. The Rewati Range resonated with the rumble of bullets for about 35 seconds.
After this, it was again dark and silent. After some time, the yellow light flashed in the sky again and the thunder of bullets started resonating. It went on like this for one and a half hours. During this, colour fires are also used. Further, the contingents will practise targeting with tracer rounds. A tracer round is a type of coloured bullet. Every soldier who comes here for training is trained to pile up the enemies at night. This type of firing training, called Chandmari training, is given at night especially to BSF officials.
