RED FLAG IN RED FORT and A MILITARY COUP

RED FLAG IN RED FORT…    and A MILITARY COUP

MY-OUR-TIRANGA

                                                                 

                          So much has been written and discussed of late regarding Naxalites and Naxalism in print media as well as in other intellectual and literary circles both in and outside the country. It’s now a favorite Indian recipe for international news agencies and if the situation prevails, iam afraid, the day is not far away when the word ‘Naxalite’ would be discussed at par with PLO, IRA, KKK or even LTTE with much concern and fear. Though I may glance through it for the layman to understand the issue, this article is not intended to be one that discusses the evolutionary history of Naxalism or their influence on the peasantry mass of India’s total population. I will not discuss about the government’s hitherto approaches on the issue either, but it’s all about a hypothetical situation wherein the potential threat this rural guerilla terrorism spawn by their highly motivated agenda to topple the democratically elected government by an armed insurrection came to reality. One of my civilian friends recently asked me, “Will naxalites ever capture power in India or in that matter any parts of India?” Instead of telling him to wait for few more months before I complete my twenty years of service, it took not even a second for me to give him a firm ‘NO’ as the answer. I’am sure this question is being widely asked in the corridors, if not among the intellectuals but among the common man of our country of late. Reasons for such apprehensions are the recent successful attacks by Maoists on security forces and the major triumph for them in our neighboring country of Nepal and the subsequent political connotations there. More over the proclamation of Maoists as they are fully intended to overthrow the Indian state by 2050 through an armed rebellion (that’s what they believe) helped to intensify the delirium. It would take several pages for me to fully describe the subject matter which is not that I'am intended to do right now. Let us discuss precisely some facts before we come to the theme of Maoist’s dream of a red flag in red fort and its aftermath.

Nepal’s Nemesis. 

                             The impending political developments in our neighbouring country of Nepal, the world’s youngest republic, are being watched and scrutinised by the Indian security experts with concern and suspicion. Earlier there were hardly any grounds for apprehension that this small Himalayan Republic tucked between two giant Asian Countries with a small population of 27 million ruled by a Hindu Monarchy could pose any security threat to this mighty nation. It was only after the Communist party of Nepal (Maoist) signed a peace deal in 2006 and entered the mainstream politics does the India government’s security machineries started taking the matter seriously. The CPN-M, after a decade long civil war in which more than 13,000 people died in armed revolution, became the single largest party in Nepal after a surprise victory in an election held on April 2009. Their supreme leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, popularly known as Prachanda has been elected as the Prime minister of Nepal defeating his rival, Sher Deuba of Nepali Congress. But  events took a dramatic turn in the aftermath of a parliamentary crisis when Nepal’s Maoist Prime Minister Prachanda resigned after the President thwarted his move to sack the country's army chief. To correlate the influence of Maoist in Nepal and subsequent apprehension of similar events in India would make an interesting security analysis for the experts in the wake of heightened Maoists activities here.

An enemy within.

                             In his National Day speech in Delhi a couple of years ago, the Prime Minister of the country linked Naxalism with Terrorism and declared it as a menace to be dealt with determination and force since it facade to be a major threat to India’s internal security. Since its violent eruption in 1967, the flames now spread across 170 districts in the states of Orissa, Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal. The Naxalites have a force of approximately 20,000 cadres operating primarily in the lawless, dense forested areas of interior India (inland from coastline).

Naxalism arose from certain basic factors like social injustice, economic inequality and the failure of the system to redress the grievances of large sections of people who suffer. In the late 1960s and early 70s, the Naxalite movement was much popular in India thanks to some brilliant students, including from the famed IITs, joined the struggle for the rights of the tribals and landless labors.  Over the years, the movement is seen as having lost its vision and compromised its principles as intra party differences led to the disintegration of the movement.  Strong counter insurgency measures of the government doused the flame; but embers remained. Their resurgence in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar in the early eighties in a new form, gained momentum due to administrative paralysis; economic insolvency, exacerbating social tensions, and corruption in local police. It is obvious that, all these ingredients which continues to exist, perhaps in a more aggravated form, acts as manure for the growth of their ideology.

                             Let us understand that, during the initial years of freedom, Communist party of India remained indifferent to the national agenda, particularly during the war against China, by claiming that the freedom we achieved from the British was false. They even carried out an armed struggle by mobilizing peasants and workers in a bid to capture state power. It’s only after the intervention of Moscow that the communists in India came over to participate in democratic process. Almost two decades later, follow suit the path of the Chinese revolutionary Mao Zedong, few of the so called intellectuals joined together with students and peasants started an insurrection in Naxalbari, a north Bengal Village in 1967 and thus started the Naxalism. Even though they were cyclically active through 1970s and ‘80s, it was only in the ‘90s that they took the present form of a mighty menace whose hands now spreads across the hinterland of India.

 Their strategy still remains the unleashing of war against the government with support of local people by exposing the ineptitude of the administration in tackling their large number of issues ranging from new economic policies to SEZs to environmental protection to power shortages and Telangana. Successive governments have taken various measures from time to time to improve the living conditions of the tribal in rural areas including the implementation of land reform measures.

 

A Tribal Village


Since most of the government machinery to channelise the schemes of the departments has been  sabotaged by Maoists, they have failed to give exuberant results and thus the poverty still prevails in the far flung areas which lack basic infrastructural facilities. In this context naxalites have never been pro-people. They unleash attacks on the government officials sent for developmental purposes whereby kidnapping them and killing them brutally. This obviously hinders the developmental process which in turn has been dubiously used by the Maoists to their advantage by spreading propaganda that the government is not interested in resurrecting the poorer classes of the country.  By goading the illiterate, innocent tribal populace they let loose resurgent violence in rural areas and thus created unrest inside the nation.

                                 

Red flag in red fort

                            Will India encounter a situation like Nepal wherein these naxalites, by creating a network of “liberated zones”, plough ahead to capture the power at the centre or at least in certain parts of India in any near future?

                            The way, by which the armed Naxalites are attacking the isolated police establishments in their strongholds with sheer numbers, successful deterrent strategies to bring the civil administration to a standstill, memorandum of understanding between ISI and other extremists groups in the north east for procurement of arms and ammunitions, collecting levy from whatever sources available etc is enough for an ordinary Indian citizen to ponder over such consternation.

                              Naxalites still believe they have the ability to promulgate their ideology among the rural populace and thus motivate the vast peasantry to create a momentum for an urban uprising and by virtue of that could be able to topple the government and can come to power. Talking about their so called ideology it will be interesting to have a glance on certain facts.  As per the teachings of Marxism-Leninism or even Maoism, a political party is the leading force and there is great emphasis on ideology and in-doctrination. In Che-guevarist concept, it’s not the political party that plays the central role but the revolutionist or in other words- a guerilla. A guerilla must be a social reformer with a revolutionary concept operates with the support of the people clandestinely. Charu Mazumdar who had started the Naxalbari struggle declared in 1969, that their liberation army would liberate India by 1975. He died in a Calcutta police station in 1972. Several such leaders emerged and vanished in similar fashion. In India, Naxalites are, in one way or other mixing up the two as they are still confused, even after four decades of their existence, about the ideal approach which guarantee the success of their mission. Merciless killings of policemen and other innocent civilians who oppose their ideology is just an indication of this perplexity.  

                 All these factors contributed to a large extent in gradual intensification of Naxalism in India. Large population of rural poor frustrated with the corrupt politics and high level of social tension, paraded behind their so called “saviors”.  Naxalites credibly believe (still that confusion) that they could trade the power of “franchise of vote” into the power of administration. Sates like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar which account for about one-third of the total population of rural poor living below the poverty line, in the heartland of India could be a gleaming dream for Naxalites in their forward march to their destiny to south block. Confrontation between an elected government and the people ignored by them is not an unusual state of affair in certain places mentioned above. As usual the government, due to various reasons, could not pay much attention to find a solution to this conflict which leads to the intervention of the Naxalites who accomplished the tasks with much easy. Whether it is running schools, giving medical attention, helping the farmers in agricultural sector, taking classes on Mao’s ideology and thereby alluring the alienated class about a dazzling future, the Naxalites win over the heart of large mass of humanity by cutting across the barriers of caste and region. Ironically these poor class peasants do believe that, once the naxalites are eradicated, the rich and elite class will exploit the abundant mineral as well as natural resources of this area from them and they will literally be alienated from their own little space. All these factors which cultivate the rise of Naxalism in our country, may, in remote possibility, as they believe, lead to a countrywide revolution leading to overthrowing the democratic system and hoisting their red flag on Red Fort.

              Then will raise this question as to how they would be able to rule the largest democratic country of over eight hundred million population strength with as many diversity and religious convictions tagged to it. Naxalites talk only about the tribal and downtrodden. What about the rest of India? They flourish in rural India where  highly indigenous and impoverished tribal populations resides. They have never  been to the main stream politics  even in those areas. With their ideology of capturing power through the barrel of the gun, it’s obvious that the first few things they will do once into power are to do away with the constitution, banning the political parties, eradicate the democratic rights of citizens, mass executions or arrest of all the so called human rights activists or self proclaimed intellectuals who are now shedding ‘streams of tears’ for the naxalites and, and, and….the list will continue till the whole country falls into anarchy. Is it possible in India? I’am sure, many of you will have doubts about this. But the fact is that, numerous nations have their governments toppled by revolutionary war other than those with citizens involved in rejection of monarchies by fighting for democratic rights. I’am not talking here about French revolution, October revolution or Cuban revolution or in that matter few military coups took place elsewhere. But about those countries where democratically elected governments were toppled by armed revolutionaries with or without the support of mighty nations who pursue their own interests. Cambodia, Guatemala, Chile, Angola, Serbia etc are just to name a few where the elected governments were drastically restructured through negotiations with persuasive revolutionaries. Many were later on realize and solely appreciate that their ideology lacks the capacity to rule a country as a whole and accordingly corrective measures were taken time to time to make it more pro-people and pro-democratic. So by understanding that it’s not insurmountable, still we are comfortable as the situation in our country is far more complex than the countries  I’ve mentioned since we enjoy a system not even remotely similar to them.

                    In many armed revolutions, as we know, the belligerents generally avoids taking innocent human lives belongs to their own community but resorted to destruction of public infrastructures and other acts of sabotage.  More over their ideologies were also much different from naxalites. They were much intelligent in understanding the changing world order and always had the consent of the majority of inhabitants, not out of fear but out of sympathy. They all had that much important ‘political-ideological package’ which naxalites in India are lacking. Their constant denial to come to the negotiation table for finding a solution to the problem suffices this matter. They are now in a killing spree and at the same time not ashamed of calling themselves pro-people. They have now plummeted as a bunch of pretty criminals and psychopaths who takes pleasure in killing and looting by sheer gun power and living a lavish life inside the forest where womanizing and boozing is not at all a taboo. No matter how mighty a threat they are to the internal security of the country, they should understand that the only way to come to power is through ballet but not bullet. Their strategy of expanding their base by gradually capturing the power of a state or a district and then try to induce violent offensive against the nation with the support of likeminded  populace will remain as a dream. 

 

View from the other side (hypothetical).



Mass Protest March

                           However let us imagine for a moment a very hypothetical situation (near impossible) of a bizarre political condition in India by looking forward, say, fifty years from now. “The whole country will be reeling under the impact of high intensity corruption. The political leaders will be leading a life in ecstasy spending enormous money they accumulated by illegal deeds. The social and economic condition of the country will plummet to a level that the political involvement confines to a small fraction of the population.  The Police will go awry and will torture the people and exploit them or even kill them for petty bribes. Gangsters and hooligans of corrupt political leaders will dictate terms in the administration. Prices of commodities will skyrocket to the extent that even middle class would find it hard to eat even once. Judiciary will come to an apparent standstill with accumulation of petitions due to ineffective execution of their rulings by the law enforcement agencies. A great resentment among the masses against the elected government will destabilize the whole nation. Horrific riots will emanate in several places. People of all ages and demographics will start attacking police stations and destroy the public property. Arsonists will set fire to whatever they come across and loot the hapless shop owners and will gut down business centers. In several districts the low level policemen will become defunct or will remain complacent to all issues. Fearful of revenge attacks, many will join the protesters with their weapons after shedding their uniform.  Para military forces will be called to squelch the violence and will eventually results in indiscriminate firing to disperse the furious mobs. Several will be killed and dead bodies will lie everywhere on the streets. Agitators will regroup in thousands and march towards the security forces compelling them to withdraw and confine themselves in their stations to avoid colossal mayhem.    No authority will be available to call upon the military or in other words the army will decide to steer clear and remain neutral true to its tradition. Food, electricity and water supply will be disrupted as government employees join the protestors or opt to flee. Most countries will send their planes to shift their citizens out of the country. Top leaders of the country will escape in the evacuation flights and seek asylum elsewhere. All mobile phones and internet will be jammed. Only land phones will be working.  And at last looming over the country will be a total, intimidating anarchism.

               Then from nowhere they will come in open, naxalites with huge haul of weapons and explosives to support the raging mass overtly and one among them, a top politbureau member will emerge as sole leader who will remain at the helm of affairs for the rest of the upheaval. Zonal and local committee members will take charge of the states and the agitation will change its shape into an armed revolution. Vast population of poor, down trodden, peasant and working class of the country will throng the roads of Delhi in lakhs to pledge their support for leaders. All top political leaders and bureaucrats would have by then flood to other countries. Those who could not flee will be executed or captured. All state capitals will be put under siege by heavily armed belligerent revolutionaries. And at the end of all, the leader accompanied by several guns totting followers will march towards the Rashtrapathi Bhawan and will take the presidential oath of office to convert the world’s largest democracy to biggest dictatorship.

Why highly hypothetical 





Doctrine of AHIMSA



                 Why such a supposition will remain highly hypothetical and elusive? Traditional Indian society predominantly has a very high tolerance level. They never get easily carried away by propaganda.  We have a tradition and history of winning over armed revolutions by peaceful mass mobilization campaigns. India is a country with vast diversity and astonishing religious faiths and more than everything else a strong regional feverishness which they will never compromise or accept to do away with. An alternative offered by Mahatma Gandhi, his doctrine of “Ahimsa”(non-violence) to a society fraught with violence for almost a century pierce into the mind of a nation with such an astounding power, that no revolutionary ideology can shatter it, for centuries to come. Moreover our country has too many authoritarian regional centers which will hinder any such wind from spreading.   Hence, we must understand that the second largest human population in the world cannot be easily overturned or subverted through propaganda or revolutionary speeches.

    

                   At the time of independence, more than half of India was living in poverty. Today this figure is down to about quarter. One in every four poor person in the world is Indian, thanks to its second rank in the world’s population list. India’s dramatic progress against poverty over the past decade gives cause for optimism. If India can wisely generate the resources including its enormous man power and set it in right priority with active involvement of each and every section, I wonder why the nation could not eliminate poverty in the next ten to twenty years. If that happens, the so called Robin Hood-Naxalites will be searching for a place to hide. Whatever it may be, the nation definitely is in the path of progress. India is placed among a handful of future economic super powers. Considering the uncertainty surrounding the authoritarian regimes elsewhere, many choose to have greater faith in the future of a democratic India. Thanks to this spectacular economic growth, even the remote villages in the inlands are covered under the special economic packages announced from time to time. Under such circumstances, naxalites will definitely lose their ground as poverty; the father of all issues will no longer remain as their trump card. 

In the absence of a particular agenda for negotiation, apart from the problems well known and addressed to by the government, Naxalism is a crisis without a solution. A solution is possible only if there is a problem and vice versa. To me, though not in all aspects, this issue is like an elephant running amok as we do see occasionally in Kerala temple festivals. Hapless people, nowhere near in comparison to his awesome strength will ran for cover as the raging elephant would inflict maximum damage to whatever comes in his way until the elephant squad comes in and tranquilize him or in extreme cases shoots him down. But by then he would have done all the damages including human causalities. Only difference here is that the elephants are not malicious psychopaths and thus they never plan to kill anyone whereas as naxalites do exactly that and now a days ‘only that’ as they lost their ideologies long back. Here the hapless people are the impoverished tribal. It’s always better to tranquilize or kill the ‘elephant’ before more ‘human beings’ (I doubt about them) are crushed to death. Their cadres are now deteriorated to a state of believing only in murders, robberies and destruction. Marxism as a bunch of contradictions lost its original character and was rejected by even China and Russia. Efforts to apply outdated Marxism to the present world by the so called intellectuals among the Naxalites only brought struggle and strife to those affected by them. Hence, once again we must understand that the Maoist dream of capturing power is only a fantasy and will remain as it.

      Mighty power of Indian armed forces and its ever faithful stand towards democracy is another hard nut to crack as far as Naxalites are concerned. Once the democracy is lost and the sovereignty of the country is under threat, the military will take over for sure.

 







An Army Take Over

They will not condone the desecration of the constitution which they are sworn to defend, by few scheming individuals. Moreover any well trained, disciplined Army of any nation will not allow rebels to insinuate themselves into the military power structure.  In democracy several hindrances are deliberately put on the armed forces to ensure that they do not grow too big for their boots. Its traditional insularity, apolitical nature and subservience have made the forces an instrument to defend the country and its constitution. Any danger to it will, to my mind, lead to a Military coup which is 'technically' possible in India. In the event of a naxalite revolution, we will see an overwhelming military operation at all critical regional centers which will result in execution of revolutionary leaders and subsequent mopping up of supporters. 

Military Coup

A military emergency will be declared and curfew will be imposed throughout the nation. And mind you the common people will probably support the move as a better alternative. Within a couple of weeks, may be less, India will be under military rule. That will continue for few days or months before a new formula for restoration of democracy starts cropping up in the hinterland of India. And hence, last but not least we must understand that, in all sense Maoist dream of capturing power is a fantasy and will remain as it ever more.

Conclusion

                              It’s important for the government to treat the Naxal problem as a political problem as well. Political parties should join together, overlook their ideological differences, and fight against those who want to destroy the democratic structure of the country. Political leaders, instead of working from the urban comfort, should go to the rural areas where the common mass of this country resides. Welfare measures should reach there too. There are several places in India that are unexplored even in the revenue map of the district. In other words the Naxalites will not allow the government agencies to carry out any developmental activities in those areas so that the poor tribal populace will have no other option but to follow them. Political leaders along with the dedicated civil servants, with help of willing NGOs may start their civic action programmes right from the road heads and move gradually towards the uncharted inlands with the security cover of armed forces with a clear strategy in their hands and solid determination in their minds. Together we will fight this menace. "Jai-Hind" 

ARE ALL POLICEMEN BASTARDS?

                  

            ARE  ALL POLICEMEN BASTARDS?

Two days ago, I accidently came across a post published in the blog of a person whose blog has been listed in the 'best blog of India' list under the head-humor/ satire. The blogger with an exceptional flair for writing inspires lot of new generation writers with her brilliant and lucid write-ups and as a new comer to the world of blogging, I could only start reading her recently and that too when I accidently came across her while surfing for some good ones. It’s truly amazing to read her blog which would definitely make you feel relaxed with its satirical style of writing. 

It was about an incident that had happened at the Huda City Centre Metro station in Gurgaon where her hand bag had gone missing from the X-Ray conveyor belt, obviously in the presence of few security personnel and Metro staff. It’s indeed a nasty incident that could have been so easily avoided had the people responsible should have pursued the right thing in right perspective.  She had lost a lot of cash, few credit cards, her ATM card and the keys of her house and above all her latest Android. The incident, iam sure, can drive even the calmest person in the world to serious frustration and rage and can only be understood by those who went through it even once. We as human beings are living naturally and hence those outrageous words spat out by the author calling a police officer, a  ‘leery bastard’ who in her words “was ogling at her cleavage and arms” as a pervert,  and describing a police station as a place to be avoided like a bubonic plague are natural and understandable. Since this happened to a writer, whose blog I love reading,  I decided to post a comment by apologizing for whatever happened to her on behalf of the community which I belongs to and thereby requesting her to continue with her writing rather than allowing that incident to take its toll on her creative brilliance. 

 Here goes the comment, in its original version without any additions or deletions, which I had posted on her blog the same day.

           “First off, I must say sorry for coming here for the first time to say-Sorry.  As a newcomer to the Blogosphere, let me bemoan my fate.  It’s only a couple of days ago I came across your blog and I absolutely love it. You are such an amazing writer with a great flair for writing.  What happened to you today is so unfortunate. You have got the umpteen rights to be outrageous for what happened to you which you have showered in abundance in your post. I do apologize on behalf of my community for whatever happened to you. It could have been so easily avoided had the people who are responsible done the right thing in right perspective. But now, I know you have had enough solace and one more from me won’t matter much.  Our policemen, particularly lower in hierarchy are overstressed and many hails from our own villages and poor background. One of my friends commented above that those who join the police are either undereducated or were not good enough to do any other job but to become a criminal or join police. Can you tell me, who has to take the blame for that? Such a brilliant person you are, no more elucidation required right? I’am sure you can make a nice article out of this. Please do it for me. Another friend’s comment about his experience inside a police station is self explanatory to the appalling condition the ordinary policemen live in our country. Forgive them. Do we support the idea of dismantle the police system and become anarchists? Free gun license to all and say go save you. Mam, someone has to join the police, no? Our society often thinks of policemen as someone who are there to die and read the news about police who have died in the line of duty (Mumbai attack or Chhattisgarh holocaust, yesterday in Gadchiroli ), in the same manner as you said in the introductory paragraph “cluck and shake your head in sympathy and proceed to finish your cup of tea”. Let it be. But by telling this, Iam not at all justifying the policemen who are responsible for putting you in that terrible misfortune. You have already showered a lot of abuses on them. Still you are free to approach the seniors in the hierarchy for which Iam sure, you will be heard amicably. Don’t disturb your creative head any more. Let us hope, somewhere someone trying to get a taxi to reach you and return back your handbag which she/he took mistakenly. As you rightly said in your profile-loves pocking fun at everything especially herself- just take it as an incident for future and inspire and enrich us with your brilliance in writing as I could do no more than this but to pray for you. By respecting the dignity of this space for comments- God bless you. “

To my surprise, though expected vaguely, the comment has not been published for unknown reasons. May be it has been conveniently deleted by the blogger or rejected by the 'comment moderation system' after having been recognized it as a 'potentially dangerous spam'. Either way, it’s not my loss as I could find many a blog where the blogger values and encourages people to share insights and are mature enough to handle a comment which at times is not sugary. But then I strongly believe that I haven’t made any derogatory remark to spot a genuine flaw she made in her post, nor did I say anything to put her in that ‘hate to be proven wrong’ syndrome except indicating a small point that contradicts her outburst and creating ruckus out of wrath at the metro station with her statement in her profile as she is a person who- loves pocking fun at everything especially herself.  Anyway it’s her blog and it’s her prerogative to publish it or not. If at all the dubious disappearance of my comment is due to a genuine technical hitch, then I’am here alive to emphatically apologize to her for my aforesaid statement.

You may think that I'am writing this post to vent out my disappointment for not getting my comment published. But the fact is that, I have started drafting this even before posting my comment.  What genuinely made me realize that I should write something here is the horrendous outrage the friends and followers of the author unleashed against the whole police system by generalising the issue. They were found to be competing with each other in finding the filthiest words in the dictionary to do the same. And many of them emerged as brilliant writers reflecting the negative side of creativity by truly accepting that they never ever had an opportunity to talk to a policeman or to involve themselves in the ibid system. In a democratic, socialist country like India, every citizen has the basic right to speak, express, comment and protest against anything wrong. But then why would you judge a community based on what a person did something wrong? I’am sure, many will take this as my love and steadfast loyalty towards my community. Then again, it’s their prerogative. But the fact is that, by doing so, you are insulting several upright officers in the police department who works hard for the well being of the public and several others who have sacrificed their lives to see you safe at your home.

It's well known that, around the world policemen of lower ranks who are most likely to encounter the members of the public. Here in our country where half of the population is under below poverty line, the general public is an amalgamation of well off and well educated people as well as poor and lower middle class. It needs tremendous skills and years of training to deal with each one of them as per their expectations. It’s natural that the educated and affluent members of the society  carries much expectations as to how they should be treated everywhere. And as I have mentioned in my comment to the author, many constables in police department comes from villages and poor family background, with educational qualification ranges from matriculation to upper intermediate level. After joining the police, most of them who are fairly smart, learn pretty quickly what they have been taught in the police training centers regarding human rights and public dealing. Many others take more time to understand how to behave gently to public. And of course there are few who never understand anything. They are the ones who mock at the system and brings bad name to the whole community. I accept. But then please let me know if there is any flawless community exists in this world?  To fathom the intricacies of this complex system, we need to analyze ourselves by opening all available forums to communicate each other. The more the distance we keep ourselves from the police the more do we shut the opportunities to communicate. Nobody can be blamed for this except ourselves. We have not yet fully recovered from the ill effects of colonialism imposed on us by the British rulers. To alienate police from the civil society was an idea cropped up in their mind to suppress the populace by fear and force to rule us as per their convenience using their sheer power. Policing being a state subject in India, it will take some time before the government takes any decision about the implementation of police reforms in full and to take effect several directives given by the Supreme Court to the states in this regard.

Coming back to the article, I differ in opinion with few of my friends who had commented on the subject. Due to space restrictions, I have not mentioned anything in the comment of my own posted on that day. At least, Iam happy to see that none of them, over this issue, had criticised the policemen for allegedly perpetrating this act of thievery which I have been expecting after reading the language of rage they were using against the whole police system for their apparent inaction.  In the midst of this entire melee, the person who actually took her handbag and flees had escaped unscathed without getting a single filthiest abuse from the author as well as her friends. I can’t say for sure, but I still believe that her bag was taken mistakenly by someone as it happened in many cases earlier and will eventually reach her by parcel or courier one fine morning. The person who had committed the mistake wouldn’t have the courage to come out into the limelight then and there due to obvious reason, particularly after watching all the commotion inside. If it is a thievery, which according to me is a very remote possibility, involvement of an organized criminal racket active in railway stations couldn't be ruled out. The CCTVs could provide some feedback on it. Let us hope for the best.
If at all you were ensnared in such a situation, what I suggest is to keep your cool. These rackets are ‘thoroughly professional’ in carrying out such acts which they often commit after observing your movements and even by reading your emotions. The more keyed up and hurry you are the more likely you are to get targeted. If by chance you are spellbound in such a bad situation and you genuinely feel that the policemen in attendance are least cooperative, which in itself is a most unfortunate state of affair; you can approach an officer higher in chain of command without a prejudiced mind and tender a written complaint before him or solicit his valuable guidance which he will do, I’am sure, with empathy.  As a responsible citizen, highly educated and belong to the affluent society, the author should have first explored all the available forums ahead of her rather than unleashing a unilateral outrage against the whole police system in a public medium. A public forum is an arena where you should contribute something for the betterment of the society and project issues in a diligent manner so that the readers/audience appreciate the core of the issue and salute it as thought provoking. In view of the fact that the author candidly wrote in her post that the constables are not ‘Sherlock Holmes’ and are amateurish and uneducated, it’s obvious that her blog is not meant for them to read and reform themselves. What the author earned from doing all the ruckus inside the station in front of the police and metro staff is just obliterating the last drop of empathy she genuinely deserves from the mind of the staff which would have lend a hand in finding her stolen bag in later course. This I have to say, though despondently. 
But if the motive behind the post is to impart maximum advertisement about the issue and thus provoke the attention of higher authorities by posting it in face book or other such medium, as many of her friends already did, I acknowledge it as a brilliant idea harvested in her head.  Sort of identifying and exploiting a major fault in the system. It's indeed a good potion for quick redressal, if you genuinely think that in our country you have to shout to be heard. Attacking police is definitely one of the best ingredients to invite maximum public attention. 
Now let me have an appeal to my friends, both in police and the public as well. I will start with my police friends, particularly to those who are up in hierarchy.
Why can’t we try to educate our men, particularly those in much lower levels to refrain from doing anything which potentially harm the dignity of our department and tarnish our image in front of the society? Why can’t we direct them to be extra courteous while dealing with the general public, rich or poor, even if they are under stress?  Why can’t we try befriending the public? Why can’t we isolate those who never understand the significance of policing and deal with them harshly as well?  I know we are understaffed and are in tremendous stress and strain. But still, let’s try doing it for our future generation. We officers are at the liberty of doing it which falls under our own authority. We mature by age and service. So let us communicate our experiences to our juniors. They will pay attention to you only but to the bloggers or intellectuals in our society. We are the ones to reform them. We may set a good example for those among us every time when they look at us for guidance and tell them – see look at me and do exactly what Iam doing. We can bring a lot of change.
Now to my friends from the public community. First of all please do not generalize us or in that matter any community for a transgression committed by an individual belong to that community.  Does the person who master minded the Mumbai attack represent a community?  Further the one who unleashes attack on the minorities in Gujarat doesn’t represent a community either. Person who killed Indira Gandhi or Rajiv Gandhi too doesn’t represent a community. So, there are good guys and bad guys in all sections, in all communities and in all countries. Let us try understanding and living by the fact. We are privileged that we are not living in Syria or Somalia. Is there a country without crime? 
To one of my beloved brother who commented that the people who join the police are those who could not get quality education, were not good enough to do any other job and had only two options with them, that to join police or become a criminal, I have few words. I hope you are a well educated person. Now tell me, to whom do you express your gratitude for making you an educated person?  It’s your parents who got you admitted in a school when you were a kid, paid your fees and gave you good food and clothing. In few exceptional cases, like orphans, some other noble hearted person did the same. But any way it's not you all by yourself...right? In a country where almost half of the population living below the poverty line, such parents is a minority who could afford to send their wards to IIM or IIT and bestow them the “quality education” you were talking about. Now I hope you won’t blame at least those unlucky policemen for not been able to get quality education. Education is alms, a charity you attain by the mercy of someone. Try to understand this as your primary wisdom.  Your comment was so painful my dear brother. By respecting your right of expression, let me tell you one more thing. Please ask the hapless parents of those boys who  have died and still dying in recruitment centers of armed forces and police while giving grueling physical efficiency tests in empty stomach, how much aspirations they had in their wards to make then policemen instead of fetching some good money by sending them to the world of crime. Poverty and illiteracy is not a felony. It’s just a fate instead. It’s their destiny that they born in a poor family and you in rich.
And to those brothers and sisters who have commented the policemen as ‘bunch of bastards with bangles on their hand’, I welcome you to this part of the world where we are deployed. Come to Chhattisgarh, Gadchiroli or Chintalnar to see for yourself what is in our hands. Or else you can go to those places where our peers in ITBP and BSF are burning the midnight oil, with their eyes wide open in sub zero degree temperatures of Kargill, leh and ladakh, far away from their families for months and years to make you sleep peacefully in your air-conditioned room with your partner.
When Mumbai was attacked, all were fleeing from the scene shrieking and squealing for help and those unfortunate souls who could not flee have died on the streets. That was one of the worst terrorist attacks our country has ever seen. When everyone else ran for cover after shots were fired in all directions, few those who were not there at all came running towards the place even from the farthest parts of India to help the people, to save their kith and kids and eventually many of them were killed in the act. They were THE POLICEMEN and THE ARMED FORCE MEMBERS. They died just for YOU, because they are trained and paid to pull in towards the danger but not away from it. So, in a way they are paid to be vulnerable. Now, you can seriously think about joining us-The Police- Can you?  And for your kind information, they are the ones, the only ones who would be doing it for you. In a country where more than thousand policemen are killed every year while performing their duty, let us, at least not call them- a bunch of bastards.

But still, we won’t blame you. It’s an oath we took willfully.  . You made a lot of commotion inside the station by violating the norms, you shout at public servants in uniform and bang on everything you could see and spat those filthy words and you are here advising the policemen to behave in manners. The poor constable who accompanies you to the metro station, according to you were acting Sherlock Holmes. If all these are epitome of good manners, then I hope you can easily forgive those constables as well.   

Once again I would like to reiterate that I would never justify the acts of the policemen who are responsible for her plight. I sincerely appeal to the competant authority that they should be punished. And that’s the way we reform as better beings.

Before I wind up, I beg the permission to attach with this post a letter I received from a person from Mumbai, years back, when I was performing my duties as Officer Commanding at the Srinagar Airport. I never had any intention to make it public, which obviously would be reckoned as an act of extravagant self-assertion. But as it just fit in the scene, I thought otherwise. The background of the incident is that, one fine morning I found a driving license lying on the road side inside the Airport. I posted it to the person whose address I got from the license itself. I never thought the recipient will give a response. But when I received a beautifully written letter from him, it meant to be one of the most valuable commendations I got in my service. 
 My apologies to the gentleman for making it public and if you think I made a mistake by doing so, please let me know so that I will remove it promptly.


Now to the respected blogger, please let us know when you get your lost bag and post another article about it. I'am sure it's going to happen soon.  That would be a very interesting post...right? 

 Iam sure many have different views and have independent opinions on the above issue.  Please post your comment if time permits.   “JAI HIND”..




 

A TRUE CITIZEN

POLICE BLOOD IS ALSO RED

 POLICE BLOOD IS ALSO RED

                  Last few days I have felt truly rinsed out for some unknown reason. I have been a bit snappy and fatigued. Some sort of dull and sluggish. I was ready with some new projects but have somewhat stalled on the draft. The mounting temperature of this arid land might have taken its toll on my writing skills. It’s like that the sun is sucking the creative juices from my grey cells with a straw made of bamboo that are easily available in this place.

Meanwhile I thought, I need some inspiration to come out of this phase and plough on ahead. Then I remembered there’s always somebody there who has got more reason to be worried than me but is living a fully engaged, meaningful life in the community which makes the life of others better worth living. I met one such person at Kolhapur in Maharashtra. He was not alone. With him were few of his likeminded friends who relentlessly back him in his activities, extending from arranging blood for the hapless patients to organizing ambulance service for those in trauma. He, when I met him, was associated with CPR hospital at Kolhapur, the biggest health care centre in the district. Still I don’t know how popular he has been in his region as a humanitarian worker but I found his mobile phone never stops ringing, nor his old motorcycle got any relief from its escalating engine heat. The local populace affectionately hails him as “Bunty” and for those outsiders, he is Virendra Prabhakar Sawant.  In fact this post is not a story about Bunty to whom I had but little acquaintance with. But this depiction is about how he and his friends whom I met in the backdrop of a major riot, changed my perception of laymen in our society and more over how our meeting turned to be a moment of enlightenment for me that the ……..

POLICE BLOOD IS ALSO RED.

The ill-fated motorcycle breathed its last sending twisting curls of black smoke as a distress message to the weeping skies.  Several analogous messages were sent on the night of 7^th September 2009 from a small village in Maharashtra during the “Ganapathi Visarjan” festival that year. The flames of hatred every so often cause loud noises from inside the shops selling foot wears, flowers, medicines, cereals and vegetables in its busy and chaotic market road. Boulevards wore a deserted look as police imposed an indefinite curfew to prevent the violence from spreading into other districts. Peeking out from behind the tattered curtains were startled heads hitting each other in the dark, trying to figure out the movements outside the national highway, hostile or docile. Small children were held back by their hapless mothers from venturing out of their house and getting a volley of angry shouts from the policemen overseeing the curfew.  The mothers too found it hard to adjust to the plight. Often they cry out cursing the irresponsible men folk who desolated them by fleeing the village when the police knocked the doors in the night.   Narrow paths branch off the highway leading to slums now wore a semblance of cemetery. Behind the frail doors of those thatched huts were hooligans lurk to pounce on anyone daring to venture out for essential things like kerosene and milk and snatch the same eventually.

Rolled through those narrow paths in the wee hours had entered a convoy of eight RAF vehicles after much intricate eighteen hours of incessant journey from Hyderabad.  A new outburst of hostility was still looming large around the town. The exhausted members of RAF had no time to unwind as they had in their hand a grave job in saving the lives of several innocents who might die in the streets as irrational frenzy gripped the area. I thought, “Leading a contingent of one hundred and fifty well equipped men and women in blue uniform to sensitive places have become a routine for me during festival seasons as the communities living side by side for generations turn on each other in a bewildering frenzy through these times”.  For several years they have been meeting each other at least once a day and exchange pleasantries. They often help each other and share food and it would, in a matter of minutes, these very same people run amok like stray dogs searching for acquaintances from other community, only to butcher them brutally. Many times it had nothing to do with the religious fervor but would be a carefully orchestrated effort to rob the shops and wealth of their neighbors. A shame on mankind

The 'presence' of Rapid Action Force had to be made known to those hiding behind the doors of dirty houses with revenge in their mind and daggers in their hand. The trail of catastrophe, hooligans left behind in a matter of hours the previous day was terrible. The air was noxious with receding fumes of burning vehicles and shops. The flames often blazed out of proportion and coloured the dark sky in red flecks. Late night hush, though occasionally broken by mild explosions from inside the burning shops and houses along with screams or hysterical sobbing of dwellers, was indeed awesome.

It was early morning before our first assignment-show of strength-had been accomplished. Perturbed senior police officers encamped in the town since the ordeal started, heaved a sigh of relief as the vindictive night went off peacefully without any unpleasant incidents. Situation had improved significantly as combined efforts of state police as well as RAF, intervened on time, bore fruit. Strictly imposed curfew had prevented any moving objects, man or machine, to venture out into the streets with dubious intentions.  Pacing up and down were the vehicles of senior police officers taking all precautionary measures in their respective jurisdictions in order to prevent any collateral damage. “Situation tense but under control” scrolled the television news channels as they continued the coverage of one of the fierce communal riot happened in the district since long.

Finally at 3am in the morning, a security assessment meeting was conducted at the local police station whereby it was proposed to shift my company to the district headquarters at Kolhapur as another RAF company from Mumbai was already there engaged in vigorous patrolling.

It was almost dawn when we reached this historic town of Kolhapur.  Not even bothered about the basic amenities available in the police lines,   troops went into a quick slumber as they were much tired after a long journey from Hyderabad and an arduous patrolling the previous night.

Kolhapur was free from curfew. Nevertheless, prohibitory orders were issued by the district administration in few sensitive places as a precautionary measure as they genuinely feared a backlash over the sporadic incidents of violence happened elsewhere would affect the city of Kolhapur also. People seemed to be care less about what had happened in their neighboring villages. RAF had no much job to do for a couple of days apart from conducting flag march and foot patrolling in the city limits as a show of strength to infix confidence in the mind of local community.

Suddenly things took an ugly turn one day as tension erupted in the outskirts of Kolhapur when public violated the prohibitory orders and took out a politically motivated procession. When the police tried to hold them back beyond a point, the demonstrators came into a violent scuffle with them which resulted in heavy stone pelting from all directions. Police resorted to lathy-charge to disperse the unruly mob. Agitators ran helter skelter.  Several of them were injured, some of them seriously. The area was placed under curfew and RAF was called instantly as a rudimentary precaution. But the situation returned to normal as fast as it appeared. RAF returned to barracks and put themselves in routine in-house training activities at the Kolhapur police lines.

Hectic “Ganapathi Visarjan” bandobast duty for almost eleven grueling days in Hyderabad and a hasty short notice movement to Maharashtra was in fact a daunting assignment would any elite force dare acknowledge. Such an unrelenting work load for almost one month started taking toll on my company personnel. Few of them had got fever due to fatigue and sudden change in climate. Two among them, including a lady constable, had to be admitted in the CPR hospital where their condition continues to remain a matter of concern.

Couple of days later when I was standing near the hospital ward, the duty doctor came in a hurry “I have to tell you, officer,” he said drily, “the condition of your men is critical. I gather you are here to save the public and now your own men are in trouble”. He stared at me. Laboratory investigations revealed a critical state of affair.  The blood platelets of both of them had declined drastically due to the incessant viral fever they were suffering for many days. “They are in a state of thrombocytopenia”, doctor murmured in my direction. “Normal platelet count in a healthy individual is 150000 and 450000 per micro liter of blood, anything below 20000 is a reduced count and if platelet count level falls below that, spontaneous bleeding may occur and is considered a life threatening risk. The most serious complication which is potentially fatal is a bleeding inside the head (intracranial) or from the lining of the gut (gastrointestinal). Your men are in that state of affair”. He paused but found to be nervous about the laboratory reports.

It was late in the night. He motioned me to a chair at one end of his room and told that the main approach to addressing low platelet count in a variety of conditions is to give blood transfusion or platelet transfusion. “Both may be necessary in the present condition”, he said, “Either way the blood platelet may need to be replaced”.  Few other doctors also joined him in some serious discussion. Sitting there I had been listening quietly to that. Now one among them turned to me and said, “ An immediate transfusion of blood plasma would be required to save them. It is very difficult to get blood platelets now at mid night as all blood banks in the city are closed.”. That was a shocking revelation for me. My over ambitious assertion that I had enough donors available with me , made no impact on them.  “Extraction of blood platelets is done through a process called Plasmapherasis which itself is a long process”, they continued, “You have only one option. Convince the administration to get any blood bank open at this time….. Think it over…. We have to act fast”. He moved swiftly towards the ward. Dumbstruck, I stayed there gazing at him. I felt helpless. With one hundred and fifty trained men under me, if needed, I thought I could manifest anything that I want. But here Iam looking back at the corridor of the hospital, stood there staring into abyss in some sort of despondency.

 Suddenly I thought, “I have to act and act soon. A wrong or late decision could mean a horrible death for the two constables who had trusted me”. Time had suddenly became precious. In a strange place at odd hours, I felt vulnerable. To the terrible dilemma in which I found myself, there seemed to be only one answer; that to approach the district administration or police as the doctors rightly said. It was late night, the city, otherwise boisterous with busy markets and ever shouting street vendors, was quiet.

Superintend of police, Kolhapur, might not have expected a call from me at midnight with a problem he would have never expected from a central armed force officer. Of course, policemen talk benevolence too. For such a need, he assured me, he had ample resources. It took only a matter of minutes before the local police Inspector and the man with a mission, Prabhakar Sawant alias Bunty, arrived on the scene and was placed at my disposal. Paraded behind them were few doctors and few local politicians with several young men as volunteers. Bunty was found busy giving instructions to them.

I stood there alone and tense as a mute spectator in the corridor of the hospital watching how quickly the arrangements were made in a sophisticated manner. A Blood Bank in the city was opened and platelet packages were made available at the hospital in a flash. Under close observation of senior doctors, the transfusion was done then and there.

 A perceptible change of atmosphere in the ward had been noticed by me. Doctors assured a fast recuperation. It was almost, sort of life saving effort by all of them. It was, even the experienced doctors would later recall, ‘A wild gamble’.

“Midnight ordeal is over” was my initial thought after seeing a gleaming smile on the faces of doctors. It was almost an hour past the midnight. I stretched my legs, straitened myself and walked into the loggia where Mr. Prabhakar Sawant and local police Inspector were waiting for me with smiles on their lips. My gratitude was expressed to them through a long, long handshake. I looked at the eyes of Bunty for a long moment, and something I seemed to see in his eyes gave me a lesson in my life. I read that in his eyes, eyes that appealed to me that humanity is the biggest religion. My mind was full of affection. “It’s indeed amazing that such a remarkable effort could be done by you in a short period of time and in odd hours” my words, I know, were not enough to appreciate the efforts  they rendered to help the patients with compassion and service.

i found there in the portal, not far away at a respectable distance from us stood few young guys who willfully came along with Mr. Prabhakar Sawant on his request. Their mission was to donate blood for the sick RAF personnel just by chance. While expressing my words of gratitude to all of them, I found two among them had a heavy bandage on their arms.  A casual enquiry about the the injury brought sheer astonishment in return. One of them said in an unruffled voice “Sir.. We were there at Ujgaon village yesterday when the police resorted to lathy charge and were defending the blows with our arms”- he smiled. A sudden silence froze the loggia. For few seconds I looked aghast at his words. ‘Well,’ he continued with that smile intact, ‘Let me tell you sir, the Police Blood is also Red’, and turned back disappeared in the darkness. As they left, I heard inside my eardrums, the bitter sound of the roar and scream of the crowd outside the Ujgaon police station and rattling sound of cane and body shields. Stunned and beyond words I stood there alive.

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….