Political Diary

New Delhi, 19 September 2009

Cops, Stop Being Kicked As Football

BRAVE WORDS, WILL IT LEAD TO CHANGE?

By Poonam I Kaushish

Until yesterday it was dubbed as yet another conference of DGP’s and IG’s on internal security last week. One more seminarian approach.  The same monotonous actions and reactions, with a minor change of a comma here and a full stop there. All to make it sound spanking new and different. Of a Government on the ball, talking and acting tough. Yawn.  Till the new Union Home Minister Chidambaram ‘kicked’ up enough food for thought  for the policemen: “Stop allowing yourself to being reduced to a football, to be kicked here and there.

“Why do you remain silent when arbitrary postings and transfers are made by the State Government?  Is it not your duty, as head of State police to raise your voice not only on behalf of your officers but also on behalf of the people that you are duty bound to protect. ” Leaving the stunned cops rubbing their eyes in disbelief.

But Chidambaram hadn’t finished. Next he rebuked the States for their ‘transfer raj’ policy “from one post to another, without regard to the damage done to the job as well as the officer.”  Not only that. Noting with concern the failure of the States to constitute the Police Establishment Board — a mechanism suggested by the Supreme Court for deciding on police transfers and postings, he wondered why the police Chiefs were silent when their men are transferred and posted on the whims and fancies of their State maibaaps. Further, he asked asking them to introspect on what really was the length of tenures of key police functionaries like the deputy superintendents of police and SHOs. Enough is enough, was his clear message.

Next it was the turn of the Prime Minister’s turn to pitch for police reform. He called for the creation of a “new-age policeman” who is more professional, better motivated, equipped and trained with the latest in tactics and technology. Highlighting the current state of cops where on an average a policeman gets in-service training only once in 20 years, he read out the riot act. “This is totally inadequate in the changed circumstances and this must be rectified …. Police training must keep pace with the best practices being followed in the world.” 

Brave words, indeed. Do the Prime Minister and his Home Minister mean what they say, and say what they mean? Are winds of change in the offing? Will are policewallah goonda really get a make-over? Importantly, will our leaders heed their advice and desist from transferring cops every time there is a change in Government? Questions abound.

How motivated and ill-equipped our police are was laid bare with deadly precision during the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai last year, when cops with lathis and antiquated rifles were seen battling terrorists armed with sophisticated weaponry. Think. There are 14.5 policemen per 10,000 people, when the desired manpower should be 22 policemen per 10,000 people. In Bihar, a Naxal-prone State, the ratio of policemen to the public per 10,000 is a meagre 0.9 i.e hardly one policeman for 10,000 people.

More. Shocking is the tenure of our khakiwallahs. In states like UP, the average tenure of DSPs is an abominable four months. Punjab, too, has a poor track record on this front. Notwithstanding States like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Kerala who are not bitten by the transfer bug and believe in a stable tenure for police officers. Add to this poor salaries which has encouraged corruption.

Add to this the problem of Chief Ministers using transfer as a danda to get cops to do at their bidding. Those who refuse to follow orders are humiliated and given punishment postings. Besides, they are bereft of any out of the box ideas are content to wallow in inane, obsolete and muddle-headed formulations to complex and important strategic issues. Resulting in a complete  paralyses in policy-making and the operational command of our police personnel.

Not a few CMs argue that Chidambaram’s diktat infringes on the powers of the State as per the Constitution. As it undermines the federal structure and erodes the authority of the leader.  Asserted a CM: “A no-transfer policy would be disastrous. An incompetent or corrupt SHO could wreck havoc in the countryside as a State Government helplessly watches from the fringes. Besides, who would the DGP be accountable to? Given that the State Government decides the cops Annual Confidential Report? This is not reforming the system but deforming it.”

Arguably, is the police more sinned against than sinning? Are the main culprits the politicians? The truth is midway. Both work in tandem in furthering their own self-interest, with the result the system becomes self-perpetuating. Where criminalization of politics has given way to politicization of crime and political criminals. Resulting in the complete brutalization and dehumanisation of the polity and the police. We have come a full circle.

It is pointless to argue that the State has withered away. Shockingly, the police still functions according to the Police Act of 1861. This provides it with a negative role, basically that of protecting the establishment. Only if successive governments had fully implemented the recommendations of the National Police Commission, set up in 1971 under the Chairmanship of late Dharma Vira, ICS Retd, former Cabinet Secretary and Governor of three States, India would not have come to this sorry pass.

The Commission had recommended that the ethos of the Police force should be shifted from one of enforcement to enablement, called public relations today.  It wanted the Police Act of 1861 repealed and replaced by a new Act and law and order divided into two separate departments, with a separate police force for each.

Alas, successive governments have given a quiet burial to this report and instead opted for quick-fix solutions for chronic maladies. Result? Gross political interference. In 2000, the then Home Minister LK Advani set-up another Police Commission with a brief to look into four aspects: how to stop political interference and influence, change the mindset of the force, improve the public interface and image, prevent politicization, criminalization and corruption in the police. But this too was confined to the dustbin of history.

What next? The time has come to usher in drastic changes in the police administration to make it more accountable and to protect it from political interference. The Centre and States need to overhaul the outdated, 145-year-old Indian Police Act, and implement the Supreme Court’s seven-point directive in a landmark judgment last year. Namely, to prevent politically engineered mass transfer of officers on change of a Government, setting up of a National Security Commission to ensure that the selection of chiefs of Central police organizations was fair with a fixed two-year tenure and a State Security Commission to monitor transfers and postings.

In addition, over-centralisation should be replaced by decentralization and functional autonomy to the police from the Station House level onwards and their goals and objective set with the cooperation and consultation of the local population.  A properly structured and representative body of local residents should be associated with setting priorities and goals.

Besides, the standards prescribed for recruitment, training and emoluments for the police etc. also need radical revision, according to the National Police Commission. There should be a shift from quantity to quality of Police leadership.  It is better to have half a dozen officers of the rank of a Sub-Inspector in a police station to prevent and detect crime than to have 25 semi-literate and ill-paid constables. Competent officers should be posted in the affected districts and given a stable tenure of at least 2 to 3 years to make a difference. In addition, they need to be provided improved weapons and greater mobility.

In the ultimate analysis, a revolutionary change is the need of the hour. Merely mouthing platitudes will no longer work. The Centre needs to think beyond the headlines. The bottom line is clear. When push comes to a shove there is no easy option.  The Government has to tackle the basic issue first --- honest and effective modernization of the police force, with the constabulary getting its due. Are you serious, Mr. Chidambaram? The country wants action and results, not footballs being kicked around!  ----INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)