A Trigger Too Familiar

Sharma, sitting in his chair, didn8217;t have a chance to respond. Next, Chandan turned to munshi Pritam Pratap, who was also present at the police station, and shot him dead as well.

With a watertight case, it was perhaps inevitable that Chandan be convicted. The order of life imprisonment came on April 30, 1996.

Though the state has since been divided, there is no sign yet that the stresses have been reduced. With naxalite violence on the upswing in the tribal belt, security personnel continue to work under pressures unimaginable in civilian life.

Police constable Inder Bhan Mandavi, for instance, has just returned from a stay at the mental hospital in Gwalior. He firmly believes he was possessed by a 8216;8216;ghost8217;8217;. 8216;8216;Initially, I tried conventional remedies, like the village baiga witch doctor. But as it became worse, they sent me to Gwalior. It was like living in jail,8217;8217; he shudders.

His seniors, though, say Mandavi slipped into an acute depression soon after being posted to Raipur, and then the Naxal-affected Kanker district, in the early 8217;90s. Mandavi still needs to visit a private nursing home regularly 8212; there are no government mental hospitals in Chhattisgarh 8212; for treatment.

Observers are apprehensive that many more Chandans and Mandavis may be lurking out there, a hairline away from a major breakdown. 8216;8216;At least 30 to 40 per cent of the personnel are under stress, mainly because of long duty hours and lack of facilities,8217;8217; admits Raipur IG Ram Niwas. 8216;8216;Those who show signs of mental and physical stress are sent for check-ups, but those who do not express their distress go unnoticed.8217;8217;

Sometimes, the reaction is worse than indifference. As recently as last month, an inebriated sub-inspector, Prithvi Dubey, who had been reportedly under stress for some time, went berserk with his service revolver at Abhanpur, 40 km from Raipur. While no one was injured in the shooting spree, the government, in a knee-jerk response, suspended the offer and transferred all the 16-member staff of the police station.

The story of Dalip Kumar Chandrakar, 45 and a constable, is also popular on the circuit. A science graduate, Chandrakar when posted at the police station in Urla, an industrial area of Raipur, and found it difficult to cope with the corruption rife among his colleagues. In contravention of convention, he decided to take on the liquor mafia in the neighbouring village of Birgaon. But he encountered opposition not only from his colleagues but also from the villagers, so much so he lost his front teeth in an attack, and found himself implicated in a complaint by the villagers.

8216;8216;I was placed under suspension and packed off to the police lines, without getting even a chance to explain by position. I suffered acute mental stress for almost an year and have found some relief only after being reinstated. In the past year, I have attended yoga camps and sought counselling to fight the stress.But even now, when I recall those days at Urla, I slip into a depression and even feel faint,8217;8217; says Chandrakar.

Senior police officials acknowledge the immediate need to help lower-rank officials. Last week, the IG organised a one-day camp for policemen working in stress situations. 8216;8216;Next month, we plan to introduce yoga sessions,8217;8217; he adds. Junior officials, though, would be happier if the forces dealt with the problems of their housing, children8217;s education and long duty hours first.

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