Ever since the weapons were installed over the past two weeks, they have generated much curiosity around National Highway number 8.

But interestingly, the talk isn't so much about the huge machines as their sophistication, as perceived by locals drawing parallels with the weaponry they had seen during the 1971 war.

Elderly residents, farmers and youths told Express Newsline that the defence personnel, too, were different from their 1971 counterparts. ``We want to help them, though they haven't sought any help since they came a fortnight ago'', said a tea-shop owner.

Villagers are not ready to show curious journalists around the dozen-odd installations around Vadodara.

``I don't want to talk about it either, since it won't be in the country's interest. Besides, I don't know anything about these machines'', says a well-known local doctor.

According to sources, apart from a dozen-odd (mobile) sites of anti-aircraft Russian guns, a couple of armed combat vehicles were also in place around Vadodara.

Meanwhile, the District Collectorate's Civil Defence chief warden B R Kandoi said, ``We are getting extremely good response from youths and older people alike to our plans. We teach them about fire safety, first aid and related services, but the focus is on nipping rumours in the bud.''

Inside the city, patriotic banners have been put up at a couple of places. A Gandhi of Gheekanta, Tower chowk, said the banner he'd put up in his locality read, ``Zinda rahane ki mausam bahut hain magar, jan dene ki rut roz aati nahin.... Kargil shaheedon ko salaam (All of us get enough opportunity to live, but rare is an opportunity to die for one's motherland... salute the Kargil martyrs)''.

Members of the Gujarat chapter of the Indian Association of Blood Banks has offered continuous supply of blood through airflights to Himachal Pradesh and the Kashmir border for injured soldiers, according to Dr Ketan Patel, president of the association in Ahmedabad. ``We have offered to send more than 1,000 blood bags, and can continue the supply'', added another senior office-holder of the association, Vijay Shah at Vadodara.