STANDING IN THE LINE OF DEATH

STANDING IN THE LINE OF DEATH 

Your sacrifice won't go waste

Narendra Kumar IPS

I did actually begin thinking about penning this last Sunday, when I read the death of a young promising IPS officer Mr. Narendra Kumar who was crushed to death on Thursday as he was trying to stop a tractor engaged in transporting illegally mined stones at Barmor in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh.  The officer after taking charge of the district few days back took a firm stand against all illegal mining activities and had seized several vehicles engaged in transporting illegally mined sand and stones. When the nation was celebrating Holi, the festival of colour in all its exuberance, he was also coloured red but not by Gulal, but in his own blood.  He laid down his life fighting for a cause that he felt as his responsibility towards the nation. Though it’s always been my policy to not to vent my frustrations about the contemporary policing in my blog, this incident made me feel shaky and at the same time ashamed of the system as to how that these criminals mustered up the gumption to murder one of the senior most police officer of the district in broad daylight. How dare that errant driver did that to him and is still alive down there? Why didn’t they just shoot him down when he was creating havoc?  These questions have been asked repeatedly by many of my civilian friends when they got to know about this incident from the news paper. The answer is not as simple as you would probably think and it’s a complex situation where corrupt politicians, politicized bureaucracy and egocentric police leaderships are involved. A brief retrospective on this issue is what iam aimed at.

What was his fault and what could have cost him his life? Why is it his fault that he acted upon the orders given to him with umpteen sincerity and dedication for that he didn’t mind standing in front of a speeding tractor driven by an evil?  Why is it his fault that he didn’t bow his head before the mighty barons and mafia goons and there by relinquish many lakhs he would be getting for simply shutting his eyes and keeping himself inside his air conditioned office in an anachronistic situation like many others?

The state government can’t simply wash their hands off the responsibility for what has happened to a senior police officer who according to the state DGP “was a police man who could face up to the hard challenges and was thus posted to the Chambal area”. So they knew the area is a hard challenge. Did the government or the police hierarchy provide him the much needed moral and logistical support to flush out the much coordinated and organized crime syndicate when they took the decision to post him there? Will they be able to do that at all? Did they ensure that the subordinates working under him are apt for his style of functioning and he enjoys their confidence? I don’t think so. If that’s the case, then why he himself had to stand in front of a tractor when many were available under his authority who were entrusted with this job in the likes of an SHO or a circle inspector? Are these juniors embossed in the pay roll of the mafia syndicate or in other words asked by some, so called higher ups, to keep resilience over all such illegal activities? In our contemporary security scenario, answers to these questions are so hard to come by.

Let me say that, even as the police machinery is responsible to safeguard the policies and strategies of the government, it is also the responsibility of the government to back them up and to stand behind them in the event of a crisis. But unfortunately the scenario is different in many states. We have got this habit of blaming the corrupt system, the judiciary, the constitution and the democracy with a sigh of dejection. Most people think that it is Mr. Kumar’s fate that everything happened to him as it did. How can we say that the fate of him was etched in that tractor? We cannot. We condemn the inactiveness of the police and administration when ever such incidents crept up in our land. But did we ever know that they have been forced to remain dormant in many states for the better interests of corrupt politicians and mafia goons? On issues where family members of the politicians including MPs and MLAs are suspected to be involved, it is affirmative that the police and administration would remain as mute spectators even in more grave situations.

Strong laws are in fact the need of the hour and such laws should have statistically significant deterrent effects to make the influential mafia men think twice before giving a deal to their con men to run over a hapless police officer who, with good faith attempt to stop an illegal vehicle while on engaged in the line of his duty. The time has come to amend the law, if not already, to award capital punishment to those who murder or attempt to murder a police officer in uniform. At present these creeps are least bothered about the legal implications as they all are very well aware of copious loopholes in the judiciary.  By putting the best advocate available in the state and by throwing some money they could get him out of pretty much anything. Worst, they will be convicted for a silly offence of rash and negligent driving amounting to culpable homicide and would be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of two years which they would spend as cooling period inside the jail.

I would never say the death of an IPS officer is no less or more of a tragedy than the death of a constable. Life of every single policeman is important for the nation. Our society often thinks of policemen as someone who are there to die. It is true that the officers and men posted in these areas often take their lives in their hands each time they step out unarmed or under armed to have a head on with these dreaded criminals and organized goons armed with automatic guns and machetes by a pistol or a rifle. And those who are equipped with firearms are hesitant to use it even if their life is under threat. I don’t understand this. If a criminal is killed, the nation is not going to lose anything, but the death of a police officer is a huge loss for the country not only economically but also morally. It acts as a shame to the nation and morale booster for the criminals. I fully support the idea of persecuting the criminals and their supporters. Police officer should carry gun all the time and should be accompanied by gunman selected by the officer himself as I normally do.  Arming the police does not mean that all police officers should  move with an AK-47 for that will alienate them from the public, but those who are working  in disturbed areas should definitely carry a gun. Many lives were lost akin.

 Why our policemen are dying in the streets in large numbers? Do we think that we have enough man power to replace our dead heroes? In a country where there is no shortage of well educated unemployed youth and as such recruitment is not a big problem, many may have the liberty to think like that. What a pity..!. Why can’t we change this attitude prevalent among us? Let us utilize this skilled manpower to replace those corrupt officials and worthless workers who are in the pay rolls of mafia consortium.  

Now I should articulate something about the very system to which I belong to. Our police system, since time immemorial, has always been blamed for the animosity perpetuated towards the public. All of us agree that it is high time that we should first change our attitude.  We should learn how to behave friendly with the public.  Criminals often take advantage of this acrimony and gather information about the police movements from local populace. Let us befriend them and respect them. And iam sure the public will shed their begrudging admiration towards the criminals and join us in no time. One of the paradoxes of our age is the fact that the intellectuals, the human rights activists, the media, the politicians have never uttered word about the better side of the police and their devotion to the public good and have they been always grossly indifferent to the police. 

 In police hierarchy, I should not deny, few of them have completely forgotten what policing is all about mainly due to the uncertainty of postings and other impediments in career progression. In those states where postings of senior police officers are decided at the party headquarters, it is quite natural for them to keep personal affinity towards the politicians and crave for key postings at strategic places and in few cases even for ceremonial postings after retirement.   And these police officers often refrain from taking stands and would say nothing in support of their juniors who struggle in their line of duty and are often left to fend for themselves. It is not that all officers in the police department are corrupt, ambitious or pessimists. We have plenty of upright and brave officers. All they need is a firm moral support and a background to act without fear for family members or their own safety. They can do wonders if they get that on time. In my almost twenty years of service in this department I have got the opportunity to work under several officers who understood and illustrated that the salary they get per annum is reasonable enough to support their family and  to give good education to their children and to make them a good citizen. Many of them were daring and don’t care a damn for what the political bosses tell them to do something haphazardly. They stick to their words and were always available for juniors. They always believed, being honest and live to the expectations are also qualities of a good leader and that will cause you no harm. After retirement these officers will live a life full of happiness and peace with their head held high, Iam sure.

Now that the nation has lost a brave and dutiful officer, it is high time for the government machinery to think seriously and act upon to prevent recurrence of such events. Any procrastination in this effect will only lead to another disaster and another death as more and more efficient, upright police officers are being targeted by the mafia as they look upon them as hindrances in the way of their progress.

It is now the time to act. Some discussions in the news channels, few condolence messages by political leaders with tears flowing down their eyes or a few comments on face book will not do any good. For me, it has been fairly disgraceful watching to see the very same politicians who feed these criminals shedding crocodile tears and trotting out their usual platitudes about police bravery. The nation is asking for someone in authority to stand up and speak out the need for an all out fight against the mafia syndicate. A strong will power to give orders for stringent dealing with the law breakers and few overriding acts and rules to ensure no criminals should escape unscathed. All actions in this regard by the police officers should be vindicated and praised even if it extends to use of firearms against the criminals. If the state of Andhra Pradesh had more success in almost eliminating the threat of naxal from their state and Sri Lanka, a country smaller than many Indian states, can eliminate a well trained, enormously equipped and well armed LTTE from its soil, there are no excuses what so ever for the other states to follow suit.

 And for the so called human rights activists I have an appeal to them. Please help me to find what you think makes a police officer different from the other people in your list.

Finally….! I salute you officer. Your unborn child and your pregnant wife were not in your mind when you leapt in front of that tractor driven by a wicked creep instead you were overwhelmed by a blissful dream about a district free from illegal mining and other criminal activities. You decided against living a life led with style and panache in your government guest house amidst abundance of servants and other special privileges accorded the job. You bravely sacrifice your life for a cause. Iam sure, in a country where stories of supreme sacrifices associated with our freedom struggle still reverberate in the mind of millions, your dream will come true one day. Well, at least I’am relentlessly optimistic….