Indian Police for the People
In 1959, the tension between India and China was started as India gave refuge to the Dalai Lama. This tension grew in a couple of years and ended with the 1962 India-China war. This part of history is known by every Indian but what they don’t know is that it was not the first fight faced by both countries.
On 21st October 1959, Chinese Army personnel ambushed a CRPF patrolling party of 20 personnel. Ten Jawans laid their lives in saving the boundaries of their motherland.
It was a very cowardly act of the Chinese Army to ambush another country’s security force. Such kind of acts neither has nor going to low-down the morale of security forces.
Till now more than 34000 Police personnel have been martyrs in the service to the nation. To remember the sacrifice of all police personnel who have given up their today for our tomorrow, 21st October is celebrated as Police Commemoration day.
On 21st October 2018, Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicated National Police Memorial to Nation.
We should respect our forces and we do. There is no doubt that Indian citizens are not aware of the difficulties and problems faced by the Indian forces. On the ground level, the perception of police is not good. Indian Cinema has made many films about policemen.
Since common people have direct contact with the police and that is why masses always connect with the stories or characters of the police. Many films have portrayed the policemen as corrupt, unfriendly and evil beings. It is partially true but we never thought about why it is so?
Why is it so?
What kind of picture came to your mind when you hear the word ‘police’? It depends on person to person but for the majority of people, it will not be a pleasant one.
In a general perspective, the police image for most people is that they are corrupt. Police are not considered friends and many people try not to go to the police station with their problems. The question that we should ask ourselves is why the police image is such?
Their job is service to the people but they seem to be sometimes more evil than bandits.
One of the major points behind the present scenario is that India’s police system is the same as it was in the time of British rule.
Whenever a force is raised by the state, its mandate is set by them. The British raised the police force for their own benefit. It is not raised for the service to the people but to suppress the protest, save the rule of the British and maintain people’s order which does not turn into hostility toward the state.
The objective was crystal clear police force was raised not for the people but for the state. The irony is that even after 70 years of independence we did not change the mandate of our police force. It is following the same laws as laid down by the British in 1860.
Police are a state subject and the state government has total control over them. They can change the mandate and the way police should work in their respective state. The irony is that politicians do not want this change to happen.
Police are often used by powerful people for their own benefit. Police helped their political masters on many issues in which they twist and turn the law for their benefit.
Problems need to be solved
All the police personnel are not corrupt. There are some genuine problems also faced by the police and one of them is that it does not have proper manpower.
In India, the ratio between police personnel and citizens is 138 per lakh while the UN recommended ratio is 222 police per lakh citizens.
Many police post does not have adequate infrastructure. This led to poor working conditions, which is not appropriate for the person who has to deal with and solve various social problems which can be sometimes heinous in nature.
Such kinds of environments hamper a person’s mental condition. By not providing adequate tools, infrastructure and working environment, how can we expect them to work efficiently?
Police face immense pressure due to the different kinds of jobs they perform. Multi-roles performed by Police are:
- Investigation related duties
- Prevention of crime
- Preservation of peace and security
- Enforcement of social legislation
- Democratic and election-related duties.
- Natural Calamities, disaster management, emergency duties
- Maintenance of police records
- Assistance to another department
From the above-listed duties, it is clear that being a policeman is not an easy task. It is not true that people especially those in power are not aware of the police situation. They are much aware of and from time to time committees were also formed to bring the reform in the police.
Committees for Police Reforms:
- NPC-1977 suggested that superintendence be defined in the law to exclude instructions that interfere with the due process of law.
- 2005: A police Act drafting committee was set up to draft a new modal police law. Committee submitted the model police act in 2006 and asked all states to set up state and district level complaints authorities.
- 2008: KT Thomas committee set up by the SC.
- 2013: Verma Committee called on police personnel to be accountable only to the law.
Why Police does not work efficiently?
It is also true that many police personnel are honest and understand their responsibility. They are dedicated to their service. Our system does not allow such a person to work efficiently.
Even in independent India police are never allowed to function as a professional force. At present police is accountable to their political master.
They use the police force as they want and many times their acts were not legal. Many politicians have been accused and charged to guide the police force to do fake encounters.
Even some national leaders who are very popular among people are also accused to order fake encounters.
The need of the hour is to make police accountable to citizens for whom they are raised and not for some politicians.
Police are not modern as they have to be. They need to be modernized with time to face new challenges with new strategies.
Today, when terrorism has grown exponentially in the last decade, the police force needs new ways to tackle all such threats that hamper common people’s lives. They need new technology, up to date tools and utilities. In short, police need total reform.
Citizen charter
Until police get reformed. As a citizen of India, we have some rights under the citizen charter.
Awareness and information is the tool and weapons in the present time to tackle any problem. People need to be aware of their rights so they can use them in their time of need. Some points of the citizen charter:
- FIR & NCR should be logged without taking bribes. Citizens can be allowed to take a copy of the report.
- Police personnel can’t arrest without reasons.
- Inquiry offices need to be in uniform.
- Police stations can’t deny complaints on the ground that it relates to another jurisdiction.
- Written notice is given to the complainant after heaving the trial file.
- Any family member can collect postmortem reports from the office of the police superintendent.
- Police to inform the family of the arrested person. Under special circumstances, proceedings are to be taken according to law.
- Women and Child not to be called to a police station for inquiry purposes.
Way forward
Democracy is the best type of government that a country can have. The only way to use our democracy is by participating in it. We need to discuss various topics and issues that are relevant to society.
Our constitution has given us fundamental rights. At present, the need is to understand our duties and responsibility. We have to ask the right kind of questions to our politicians and not like when we are going to have a temple.
People in power divert the nation’s attention to useless issues. We as aware citizens have to ask them these questions again and again.
It is because they have given the rhetoric of being a Prime Servant to people and now people want their servant to answer the right questions.
With our limitations, we may not discuss all the problems or solutions regarding the topic. It will be very helpful if you gave your viewpoints. You can write to us in our comment box.