Prof. Nutan K Resutra
Once I happened to visit the office of a senior police officer. On the wall behind him was picture of a policeman and some sentences written beside the picture that I never forget. It went like this:
I perform my duty every day.
I do not have any duty hours; but 24X7.
I do not have any holidays.
Rain or sunshine, I am always there on the roads.
I do not know in which class my children study.
I am always there to lend a helping hand in crisis.
I bear the brunt of protestors’ wrath.
And yet: I am a corrupt, harassing, bullying government servant.
Yes: I am a Policeman!
I was too shocked to read this painful realty of the belt force people. These sentences made me think what perception people in general have of their saviours. Please permit me to express my thoughts on this.
Police have been a buffer between the angry mobs and authorities. Come natural calamity- floods, earthquakes, etc- police is there to lend a helping hand. Come a man -made disaster – bomb blasts, riots, stone pelting – we find them at the forefront, ever bearing brunt. And when it comes to blame game, it is found too convenient to blame them also.
I am constrained to write these as I am perturbed with the latest incident that happened in our city. To recall, while on duty there was an altercation between a Deputy Superintendent of Police and a BDO. Not going too much into much circulated videos of the said incident, the ultimate ugly outcome of the issue was the transfer and attachment of the said Police officer, now being placed under suspension for alleged assault on a JKAS officer.
Now this is purely my own view point for which no one is to be accredited. Many questions keep coming to my mind which I feel any common person may also be having. As I am not a genius, what I am wondering; I want to share it with you all too.
Was it necessary for the government to take such prompt action of transferring and now suspending the Police Officer “pending enquiry” while he was reportedly performing his duty? Could the needed actions not have been taken after the enquiry was conducted? Do the decision makers know what it means for the officer to be placed under suspension? Is the fault in toto of the Police Officer only? Does this incident not going to create a wedge between the two main organs of the government: the administration and the executive? And most important of all: do these “prompt” actions not demoralise the forces, who are already under pressure?
Well, frankly friends, I do not have answers to these questions. Please let me know if you have them!