Refashioning a mindset By Randeep Wadehra

Indian Police… As I See by Kiran Bedi

Sterling Paperbacks, N. Delhi. Pages: vi+154. Price: Rs. 150/-

Although there are countries where policing is looked upon as 24-hour social service, the force is not exactly loved universally. The twentieth century Irish playwright Brendan Behan had once reportedly remarked, “I have never seen a situation so dismal that a policeman couldn’t make it worse.” Unfortunately, the Indian police’s image is much worse than what Behan projects. Today, police is looked upon as the single largest organized predatory force in the country. Even a law-abiding citizen would avoid visiting a thana if s/he can help it. Police-citizen interface invariably generates unpleasantness, with the latter at the receiving end.

A product of British colonialism, the Indian Police is still governed by the archaic 1861 Act under which it was meant to be an instrument for controlling the natives of a slave country and not for serving the citizens of a free and democratic nation. This mindset persists simply because the politician-IAS combine wouldn’t allow professionalization of the police force. Kiran Bedi goes further when she points out that apart from the burden of historical baggage our police force suffers from drawbacks that are both systemic and societal in nature. Our polity is getting increasingly criminalized – and not just in Bihar and UP – which enables the likes of Mohammad Shahabuddin getting away with armed confrontations against policemen, wherein the latter suffer casualties. Nepotism, favoritism, corruption and political patronage demoralize and marginalize upright officers. On the other hand employment in the force is looked upon as a passport to easy money, lucrative marriage alliances and unbridled power by the more worldly wise. Expectations from a cop by his kin are always materialistic like raking in filthy lucre thru bribes, and never idealistic like serving the society etc. Kiran Bedi’s diagnosis of what ails the police is sympathetic but accurate. However, adverse service conditions, poor pay packets and work related stress tell only a partial truth. And, the solutions offered by her (Vipassana, self-improvement courses for police personnel and moral suasion at the individual level) though exemplary, will remain peripheral unless wholesale changes are wrought in the system through politico-administrative action.

As indicated in the chapter Foundations or Furniture there is a need to inoculate the khaki against interference by the khadi. Not only should the force be fully professionalized but also allow investigation and crime prevention activities to be conducted without unnecessary interference by top brass who should show confidence in the professional acumen of their juniors. At the macro level there is a need to enact laws more in tune with the requirements of today’s society, and political will to implement these. Police force’s worldview should be refashioned so that it behaves as friend and not master of the citizenry. And yes, a system should be put in place that encourages officers like Kiran Bedi who are firmly of the view, to quote the British statesman Alfred Milner, “If we believe a thing to be bad, and if we have a right to prevent it, it is our duty to try to prevent it and to damn the consequences”. Any takers?