Through the Shades of an Officer

It was 2100hrs and I had decided to retire myself from all sorts of worldly-confusions and contemplate upon the “Method of Images”, used to simplify a given complex looking Electrostatic problem. But a sudden call disturbed my quasi contemplation state and directed me to rush to the CEP. 93 minutes later I was contemplating on the fact that I should rather deliver the college with a study focused on the “Police System” in our country. A few minutes later I revealed my intentions to the Press club of DA-IICT, leaving my shoulders with the burden of entering into the intrinsic web of, what is called the “Khadi”.

The prevalent culture in our nation is such that, there are certain issues which have acquired a very critical approach from the general public. One such domain is the Police machinery and specifically the khadi cladded Officer. ACP Arjun Singh Rathore, Inspector Sadhu Aghase, ACP Yashvardhan, SP Amit Kumar, ACP A.A.Khan, have placed a decent dashing and tough image of Indian Police against crime through cinema. But walking through the labyrinths of real life incidents and experiences of many people whom I surveyed and conversed for this project, I realized that perhaps the story around a Police Officer is way too complex to be depicted by a movie. There is a huge heap of prejudices related with the Police force accumulated within the Indian mindset, which probably works as the veil of illusion, hiding the reality and producing a distorted image of the Police in front of our eyes. Thanks to few Officers, who unknowingly depict an erroneous image of the department.

In this project work on Police forces I am not depicting my views, but I have tried to structuralize the common public sentiments in regard to Police and how it differs with the reality. Working in a force requires a lot of mental temperament stability and ability to handle pressure from all possible sources. “The most indispensable quality which an efficient Police Officer will never lack is a tremendous amount of Patience”, explains a very popular and well known Sub-Inspector from the Allahabad UP cadre. A Police Officer carries the onus of performing a 24 hour duty which does not provide even a single hour to relax and retire, opposite to the large-spread misconception that Police does not do anything. Besides they are supposed to note down their hour to hour movement in a general Police diary. No matter whether the next night has to be passed in a Jeep or on a patrol or spend just observing, they devote nearly 10-15 days without giving a look back to their home. Their Mothers Fathers Wives Children keep longing in remembrance, still the Officer keeps aside all family matters and personal issues, and shifts his focus of attention to his duty. Those who are able to set their mind-frame accordingly, tackle the challenges, while others appear irritated and fret on duty. This accompanied with countless other reasons, might leads them to show their frustration to public, which is labeled as indecency and misbehavior of Police. The common public will always fail to realize these hidden aspects and dynamics of the job of a Police Officer.

The heaviest pressure on an Officer is from ‘The Above’. There is a senior for every Police Officer, to whom he is answerable to, and for a DGP state, it is the ministry of Home affairs, to which he has to answer. But the story changes when the term “Ministry” comes into the act.

The 4 most important subjects that an Officer has to keep in mind while on duty are:

1)      Senior’s command

2)      Rules and Regulations set by the Court

3)      Rules and Regulations set by NHRC(National Human Rights Commission)

4)      Political Intrusion

Being the heaviest, Political Interference has proved to be THE biggest hurdle in the healthy functioning of Police. Politicians interfere according to their will. The right procedure explains that a politician must consult the DGP, who is the final responsible authority, for taking or not taking any further action. Instead Politicians directly call the Station House Officers (Inspectors), and direct them to work according to their will. They sanction transfers for Officers without anybody’s consent, on the sole basis of whether the Officer is useful to THEM. A Politician always looks for the most suitable Officer who suits his interests. In another approach, the Officers of a particular region also reflect the image of the politician or MLA of that region.

35% of the general public believes that there should be a constitutional amendment to relieve the Police from the Home ministry and declare it as an autonomous body, headed by a Central Chief, just like the CoAS(Chief of Army Staff-The General). Rest 65%, were either unable to understand the question and its formulation, or they were unable to imagine if such a thing could ever happen in India. This seems to be a heavy mission, but a few changes in the center and state list, Regional division of command, a Presidential control and redistribution of power can work this out. Will take time, but is justified if it relieves the Officers from unwanted pressures of ministers and bureaucrats.

Rajasthan state DGP H.C.Meena introduced a new format of training for new recruits. A 10km continuous run, which He himself completes in mere 48mins. Another issue is that the fitness condition amongst our Constables is miserable. Almost everyone whom we asked in our survey believed the requirement of a regular health check-up and weekly exercise schedules for Constables in specific. Moreover some even stressed on the fact that the training given to new recruits is not worth anymore in the wake of modern crimes. Claims are that Police uses their old techniques while criminals have sorted out new and much efficient modus operandi.

Now since when I have mentioned the term Modus Operandi, or the “Method of Operation”, we must not forget that whether or not we realize, our Police force uses some of the most sophisticated styles of operating, with a very rich network of informers. Often within such operating styles appears a very sensitive term called “Encounter”. To our surprise, around 90% of the public is captivated by the term and believe it is the right and appropriate way of dealing with serial history-sheeters. “Elimination is better than recursive interrogation”, believes the public. The degree and hideousness of crimes has increased to such a level that a life sentence no more justifies the verdict. But the irony of the matter is that a fake encounter is constitutionally a crime registered with IPC, the social activists will involve the elements of Human Rights, opposition party will propagate the notion of Khadi Raaj and our Police Officers have to face the wrath, regardless of all justifications. Despite the general public being fascinated by the term Encounter Specialists and talking about graces of Daya Nayak or Pradeep Sharma, an official permission to this can be given only if Police works as an autonomous body independent of ministerial control.

When asked about some weaknesses of our Police, almost all agreed that Bribery remains to be THE biggest hurdle. “Concentration of most of the power with upper rank Officers causes lack of decision making in lower grade Officers, a deficiency of latest technology, fitness concerns and political interference” are some other flaws cited by public. Keeping aside the issues which involve governmental will, let’s contemplate for a while on the issue of bribery, for it relates to us directly. Some Constables will annoy you to such an extent that you will deliberately bribe them, while in some cases you will purposely bribe them for making your work done. Such a deep rooted culture in a society cannot be removed through mere laws and policies. Almost everyone agreed to this fact that civilians are equally responsible for spreading bribery, and that there is no specific solution to such a widespread critical issue. Although an ideology that hits everyone’s conscious might help in some manner. This ideology cannot be predicted; it will come spontaneously when it will be most required.

A utopian force is a hypothesis which can never exist in reality; however it can reach near to the level of perfection, with our support, faith and motivation. Sad is the fact that our general public lacks all these three key elements but still wish to get a perfect cop. Besides the biggest misconception is this that if one cop is corrupt, so is the rest of the department. And along with this, stereotypes of ruthless, unfit, inefficient and coward are also tagged to them (Some of their views can be viewed on this video).

Whether the weak and inefficient functioning of Police is due to the critical public opinion and perception OR it is exactly the other way round, does not concern me at all. The more important concern is that since the Police force is a surveillance squad and a law maintaining squadron, it should uplift its moral image. Such apprehension must naturally hit the mindset of our Officers. They should come forward with answers to elevate their presence, take pride in performing their duties and this should occur from grassroots to the highest post in this service. A mental change in the minds of our Officers regardless of the public response can deliver us with the very ideology that I was mentioning above and along with it will the wave of ‘Change’ arrive. Change, in the way the ordinary civilian notices a Police man, Change in the way every Police Officer whether a Constable or an SP thinks about himself.

Hereby I rest my writing, presenting the last statement, made by the former voice, direct from Allahabad on the other side on the phone, in what will always remain as one of my most cherished discussions I ever experienced…

“Facing the Odds, ignoring the charges of the Society and recoiling the aspirations of Sympathy,

The Khadi Cladded Officer is the Zenith of Patience”

       The facts stated in the article are based upon:

1)         A survey done by me and my colleagues at Infocity Gandhinagar(video can be followed here).

2)         A Telephone Discussion with a Sub-Inspector Allahabad, UP cadre.

3)         No references from any websites were taken.

photo courtesy:: S.P. Shivdeep Lande