Wednesday, December 17, 2008

The appaling state of affairs: Step 1 police reforms

watch this video





Here Ratan Tata says that Tatas will now have their own mechanism to handle terror.
In this action, I could see the desperation, frustration, and resignation of a very patriotic group (Tatas do one of the most wide spread philanthropy I think).

Today Tatas actually said that they could not trust the government machinery to protect them from terrorists. So now, they will have to enter a domain that is an additional strain on their pockets. The money that they would otherwise be using to grow further across the globe. This is a sorry face of Indian Government machinery.

Tatas might have the money to open an anti terror process costing crores of rupees. What about the common man? What about me? you( if you don't belong to Tata group). Are we going to be killed by the terrorists, or by carelessness of Indian Government? Do we all have to now fend for ourselves and carry guns with us every time we venture out?

The Police laws we have were written in 1861, around 4 years after the revolt of 1857. Not only were they written by the british, but they were almost undoubtedly written to prevent from uprisings like 1857 from happening again. Needless to say, not only were they tyrannical, but also are totally irrelevant today. I am told there is a law that prohibits opening of road side dhabas!

This set of archaic laws, and their much needed reforms have been debated for the past 30 years! And add to this the fact that Politicians (Yah I know u r thinking there he goes politician bashing) use the police as they deem fit (for security, even getting milk in the morning), because police and law and order is a state subject. Constant patronage to specific officers and punishment others

On the other hand, opposite systems create, and mismanagement of them, create similar problems. Delhi Police for example, is not under Delhi CM's. When the girl was killed in the early morning hours, she could not do anything. There are many other similar cases where total control, or absolute lack of control over police have led to deaths, serious loss to us, the common people.

And yet the debate goes on, coz it is not in any minister's benefit to let go of their control over police. To top it, there is very little awareness in public about this issue. Unless general public takes this as a serious issue no party will want to work on it against the wishes of their ministers.

One of my professors here in US, Indian by origin, left India coz he thought nothing could be changed there. I am not justifying his cynicism but there is a point there. Every time we talked about India, and he is as passionate about India as any Indian I have seen, he said two things.

1. We must have a good enforcement mechanism (read police) to ensure smooth functioning of almost everything a common man deals with.
2. A few generations of Indians need to die and wash away before we can see a new vibrant India.

We live in a society where a person thinks he can get away from police after a crime, be it high profile like Manu Sharma, or Biti Mohanty, or road side goondas-turned-politicians like Arun Ghawli, or even the goondas in the streets of lucknow, or corrupt government officials demanding bribes, or even lazy police themselves totally ensured of patronage. When anyone of us thinks that a hundred rupees (500 in some cases) can get us out of 'trouble', the backbone of an orderly society breaks down. This again comes back haunting us in form of delayed police in terrorist attacks...

I think through all that I've written, I have tried to bring about the urgency needed to have police reforms. It is the common man's interaction with a constable that needs to be perfected. And thats the best way to reform a society. From within. From the basics...


I found this article too have a look...