Freedom from crime in the heartland

The BSP government in Uttar Pradesh has completed three months of its installation in office. Mayawati, in her new incarnation as chief minister...

The BSP government in Uttar Pradesh has completed three months of its installation in office. Mayawati, in her new incarnation as chief minister for the fourth time, appears to be a transformed person. This is certainly due to her changed political strategy and the strong hold she now has on both party and government. Although bureaucrats of her inner circle are officers of proven integrity and loyal to the chief minister, law and order still leaves a lot to be desired.

So far transfers, suspensions, termination of service and forced leave to policemen and officers have marked Mayawati8217;s term. Sensational as these marching orders are, they are no remedy for the chronic malaise that ails the police. Three cases, recently reported in the press, illustrate how a wrong diagnosis can lead to faulty redress. A passenger bus was waylaid and looted by miscreants in Barabanki district at a place far removed from the police station and district headquarters. The constable to the district superintendent of police incurred the wrath of the chief minister. No doubt it was a heinous crime, but the police ought to have been punished for not tracking the criminals rather than for the crime itself. Similarly, somewhere in Sarawasti Range near Gonda, a Hindu girl eloped with a Muslim boy of the same village. This sparked violence, loot and arson of the houses and property of members of the boy8217;s community. Here, too, everybody from constables to the DIG were blamed and awarded varying degrees of punishment, while the real cause of the problem 8212; lack of manpower

and riot-fighting equipment 8212; remained unaddressed.

The two cases reflect the social tensions of a society marked by caste, communal and employment-related tensions. They require remedial exercises at the societal level and not an administrative clamping-down on those who maintain law and order.

In a third case, an MLA of the ruling party known for his muscle power, in a fit of road rage, insulted, humiliated and beat up a police inspector in a busy market in Lucknow. The MLA tore the shirt of the inspector, snatched his driving licence, revolver and some papers. He was threatened with suspension from service and other dire consequences. His crime? Asking the MLA to clear the road blockade. When the inspector wanted to get a case registered against the MLA at Hazratganj police station, the senior superintendent of police, Lucknow, appeared on the scene. Instead of taking the MLA to task, he cajoled, pressured and finally forced the inspector not to pursue the matter further. The SSP did not enhance his authority or the prestige of the police force although he may have earned some brownie points from his political bosses.

The state has of late suffered a great deal because of a succession of weak, biased and inept coalition governments. After a long time it has got a single-party government with a strong leadership. Instead of weakening and demoralising the state police, we hope that a strong and able police force would emerge under a strong political dispensation. That would certainly improve the social order, strengthen the democratic institutions, change the image of the state and help create the peaceful and developed Uttar Pradesh that Mayawati envisages.

It is suggested that the state police chief, who is a dynamic officer, and the chief minister periodically invite retired director generals of police of state and take their advice and suggestions earnestly. Often retired police officers at the lower level with experience of investigation and riot control have useful insights into police working. Their expertise should be used to help fight crime. Such coordination, if established, will cost the state government nothing but will certainly go a long way in energising it administratively.

The other main challenge before the government which needs immediate attention is to rein in rowdy political elements. Instead of providing them with security and other benefits at the cost of the state, they should be shown their proper place. Leaders of high moral standing in the state have, of late, become too intimidated by the local mafia to assert themselves effectively. It is high time that they came out of their present hibernation.

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The writer is a retired police officer who has been given the President8217;s Police Medal for Distinguished Services