A bystander’s view on Police

A bystander’s view on Police

 

-Manoj Kr Das, New Delhi

 

When we were children, our elders used to use a few icons to drive fear into our minds in a bid to imbibe discipline. Ravana, vicious jackals and red capped police with a lathi were the standard ones. Every time we did some mischief, they threatened to call one of these. It was in serial order, starting with Ravana in the toddler stage. During my childhood, we hardly saw any proverbial police close up, as the thana was about 40 kms away at Dhakuakhana. My idea of the police was of some sterner stuff – khaki clad, lathi wielding, donning a triangular red cap as described by my grandmother.

 

It was during an emergency, when I first saw a police force from close quarters. We were a wealthy farming family with four huge granaries. We also had other family businesses of running a weekly haat, a ferry ghat and 15 huge fishery beels. Naturally our family had rivals in the area. One day during emergency in 1975, a large contingent of police force gheraoed our house; my family was charged with hoarding. We kids were scared. I could read the nametag of one ‘Panging’, SDPO, who was the incharge.

 

My father was the Deputy Chief of Dhemaji Sub Divisional Council. He was away and somehow came to know of the raid and went straight to Shillong and got a reverse order issued. This incident taught me that there are more powerful entities than the police, and that we also have some power.

 

Around 1977 a horrible murder took place in our tinali and a police outpost was established. The OC took one of our houses on rent for his residence. His children used to play with us. It was then when I realized – ‘Well, they can be human too!’

 

In 1978 in Cotton College, during the formative days of the Assam agitation, we had a tiff with the police. Mr KPS Gill, the Supercop, was the SP of Guwahati. Over-agitated students burnt a public bus near our DS Hostel. There were brickbats. One junior, Parag Das’s head was struck with pelting from the police party. Mr. Gill and his posse wanted to storm our hostel. Our hostel Super, Sashidhar Goswami sir, stood firmly in front of the gate and did not allow the police to enter. He declared- ‘only over my dead body’- it was a tense day. After a long standoff Mr. Gill relented. That was one of our first lessons in managing severe stress and strain.

 

Then I entered MBA course in Panjab University, Chandigarh after Engineering in Morbi, Gujarat. A guitar wielding senior Mr. Subodh Jaiswal cracked civil services and joined the Maharashtra cadre IPS. He later became security in charge of Prime Minister, Mr. Vajpayee. Only then did I come to know of the various strata of officers in police hierarchy- Constables, Inspectors, State Police Service Officers, IPS officers.

 

Later my old buddies Mr. Bhaskar J Mahanta, Mr. Atul Karwal and Mr. Tapan Deka joined the IPS. They are now top and sterling officers in the IGP rank. Mr. Diganta Barah, who was the second topper in the Matric examinations and very close to me, joined IPS a few years back. My classmate in Cotton College, Ms Violet Baruah, is serving as SP. There is also senior Mr. Rana Bhuyan. I had one Tankhul Naga friend Mr R N Tomchon, ACP in Delhi Police, who expired a couple of years back.

 

Why I am mentioning them? All these persons had been toppers and could have become Professors, writers or professionals in other fields. Their being in the Police service is just a matter of chance. They must have scored a few marks less or more in the respective Civil services examinations which may have placed their destiny where they are today. They are all humble human beings, normal like any other. Their aspirations are also like any other. My friend Karwal climbed Mount Everest last year at the age of 47 years. Mr. Parasmani Das, IPS perished while climbing a mountain in Sikkim a few years back. He was a great mountaineer.

 

I had the opportunity to mingle very closely with Mr Mihir Kanta Barooah, the first IPS Assamese IPS Officer, as a fellow Assam Association member. He is a great littérateur and a down to Earth person. No pomp or show. There are others like Mr. Kula Saikia, Mr. Sankar Barua, Mr. Dilip Bora , writers, actors and great human beings.

 

Job of policing is not easy. It’s probably the only pure 7x24 hour job in the whole world. Maintenance of law and order in the society is the foremost duty. Imagine 1.2 billion people without law and order! The police force operates through fear and the general regard for their uniform. Despite such a noble mission, why are policemen dreaded and so feared? Because it is the first force that executes the law, the rules that govern the people. It seems to have the power to take away all the rights given by the constitution. It’s another matter that courts come into the scene after the first act of the police.

 

Corruption is a known evil in the police force. Media, specially the visual, portray the corruption angle in almost every script. The police is known to protect Mafias who share their ‘haftas’. Bribing is a way of getting away with light punishment, or sharing booties. On a daily basis, we get caught breaking minor laws like jumping a red light. Naturally no rational being will pay Rs. 1000/- when he/she can get away by bribing the traffic policeman with Rs. 100/-, and there is a willing taker. The loser, of course, is the exchequer.

 

Recently I had a bad experience in Assam. The Delhi police never misbehaves with the common citizenry, while in Assam, it’s the opposite. They look at status signatures and treat accordingly. In one incident at Dhemaji, while going to attend the Sahitya Sabha. I was sitting at the back with a proper suit; while my cousin, the Principal of local college there was in front seat. We were in an old Matiz and were stopped at a road diversion by a traffic cop. He rudely commented at my cousin, asking whether he was blind not to see the road sign. My cousin reminded him to talk politely, on which, he replied back with more severity. It was only when I told the cop that he was talking to the Principal of the local college, and this could lead to something serious, that the policeman stopped.

 

Next day at North Lakhimpur I was driving in a jeans and T. The main highway in NLP passes through a busy market place. It’s closed for the traffic in the evenings, which I was aware of. I stopped at the intersection as there were not many cars and wanted to enquire about the exact route to the place I was going to. The cop rudely told me in derogatory manner, as to why I couldn’t read the signs. I replied that I’m a Delhite and not much accustomed with the roads there. To my utter surprise, his boss joined his cohort, and instead of soothing the situation, taunted me and lampooned that he too visits Delhi often. I did not say much after that and left for my destination.

 

By chance a day later I happened to meet my friend Mr. B. J. Mahanta in a Badminton court early morning. I casually told him of the falling standards in police behavior with the public. He took down the incidents in his dairy. I don’t really know what happened after that. I am the last one to go after vendetta, but I do worry this much that if such behaviour could be meted to people like us, what’s in store for the commoner man.

 

As a conclusion I state, it’s supposed to be the policeman who is our friend in need. Policemen are the sentinel of law and a major component of the nation building process, and moral maintenance. Their morals should be above the common man’s; they should have moral standards so that the common people will look up to them with the respect that the better part of this force deserves. Police is the number one public service unit which is always there at dialing 100. I am sure that over the years it will evolve as a credible and efficient force, all over the nation. We will have a peaceful and crime free nation, which might though be a thoroughly utopian aspiration, which is essential for progress and prosperity.

 

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